PRINCETON 
,rt£C.UO]  ibtf2 

THSOLOGIO&Ii 


Division.. 
Section., 
No 


CALYAM  AND  SINAI; 


Btkcl  Discourses, 


ON 


SUBJECTS  OF  ESSENTIAL  IMPOETANCE. 


INTENDED  ESPECIALLY    FOR   THE   FAMILY   AND  FRIENDS  OF 
THE  AUTHOR. 


BY     J.     COGSWELL,    D.     D 


Mm  %immk\{,  S.  3- 

PUBLISHED     BY    A.    ACKER  MAN. 


1852. 


.fi£C.CC]1B82 

INTRODUCTION. 


The  design  of  the  author  in  sending  these  discourses  to  the  press  is 
not  to  offer  them  for  sale,  but  to  give  an  answer  to  those  friends  who 
know  him,  to  the  following  supposed  inquiry  : 

You  have  been  more  than  forty  years  in  the  ministry — in  the  Pastor- 
al Office  twenty-three  years,  ten  years  Professor  in  a  Theological 
Seminary,  and  to  this  day  still  in  the  ministry.  While  a  pastor,  several 
very  interesting  revivals  of  religion  were  experienced  in  your  church 
and  congregation,  a  good  number  were  hopefully  converted,  some  en- 
tered the  ministry  whose  labors  have  been  blessed,  and  some  now  oc- 
cupy places  of  commanding  influence.  Your  attention  has  daily  been 
directed  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  you  have  been  exposed  to  the  in- 
fluences of  almost  every  variety  of  opinion  ;  now  we  ask,  On  what 
ground  are  you  willing  should  rest  your  own  hope  of  final  salvation  ? 

To  those  who  make  the  above  inquiry  this  volume  is  most  affection- 
ately dedicated  by  the  Author. 


PRIITO:STO 
\^TKSOLOGI 


SERMONS. 


HOUSE   OF  GOD,  CHRISTIAN'S   BETTER  HOME. 

PSALM  XXVII.  4. 

"  One  thing  have  I  dcsh-ed  of  the  Lord,  that  will  I  seek  after,  that  I  may 
dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  all  the  days  of  my  life,  that  I  may  behold  the 
beauty  of  the  Lord,  and  inquire  in  his  temple." 

Thus  the  devout  psalmi-st,  when  moved  b}^  the  Holy  Spirit, 
expressed  his  love  of  the  house  of  God,  and  his  desire  to  dwell 
in  it  all  the  days  of  his  life.  He  valued  the  house  of  God  more 
than  the  house  in  which  he  dwelt  with  his  family.  It  was  his 
resting-place,  his  better  home.  One  day  in  seven  spent  in  it 
afforded  him  more  true  happiness  than  the  six  spent  in  his  own 
house.  The  Sabbath  was  his  delight,  holy  of  the  Lord  and 
honorable.  "  How  amiable,"  he  said,  "  are  thy  tabernacles,  O 
Lord  of  Hosts  !  my  soul  longeth,  yea,  even  fainteth,  for  the 
courts  of  the  Lord :  my  heart  and  my  flesh  crieth  out  for  the 
living  God.  Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy  house,  they 
will  be  still  praising  thee.  For  a  day  in  thy  courts  is  better 
than  a  thousand.  I  had  rather  be  a  door-keeper  in  the  house 
of  my  God,  than  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness."  (Psalm 
Ixxxiv.)  He  had  rather  occupy  the  humblest  place  in  the  house 
of  God,  than  to  be  a  royal  guest  in  the  tents  of  wickedness.  He 


6  Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4. 

thought  a  day  spent  in  the  house  of  God  a  thousand  times  more 
precious  than  a  day  spent  elsewhere. 

The  most  costly  feasts  in  the  splendid  habitations  of  the  op- 
ulent, gave  him  no  such  entertainment  as  he  enjoyed  in  the 
house  of  God. 

His  recollections  of  the  house  of  God,  when  for  a  time  exclu- 
ded from  it,  awakened  an  intense  desire  of  his  return  to  it. 
^'OGod,"  he  said,  "thou  art  my  God,  early  will  I  seek  thee; 
my  soul  thirsteth  for  thee,  my  flesh  longeth  for  thee  in  a  dry  and 
thirsty  land,  where  no  water  is  ;  to  see  thy  power  and  thy  glory 
so  as  I  have  seen  thee  in  the  sanctuary :  because  thy  loving 
kindness  is  better  than  life,  my  lips  shall  praise  thee."  He 
could  not  forget  the  powerful  impressions  made  on  his  mind  in 
the  house  of  God,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  accompanied  the  dif- 
ferent parts  of  public  worship. 

Similar  were  his  feelings  when  he  anticipated  the  return  of 
the  time  for  the  worship  of  God  in  his  house.  "  I  was  glad,"  he 
said,  "  when  they  said  unto  me,  let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  our  feet  shall  stand  within  thy  gates,  O  Jerusalem  !  Je- 
rusalem is  builded  as  a  city  that  is  compact  together:  whither 
the  tribes  go  up,  the  tribes  of  the  Lord,  unto  the  testimony  of 
Israel,  to  give  thanks  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord."  The  wor- 
ship of  God  seemed  to  dwell  constantly  on  his  mind.  God  was 
in  all  his  thoughts.  It  was  his  earnest  desire  to  do  the  will  of 
God  and  glorify  him  in  all  his  pursuits. 

That  he  might  make  it  manifest,  not  only  to  his  people,  but 
to  all  surrounding  nations  and  to  all  succeeding  generations, 
that  his  love  of  the  true  God  was  real  and  his  thoughts  of  his 
character  honorable,  the  king  of  Israel  made  preparations  with 
an  unsparing  hand  for  the  temple,  which  he  was  not  allowed 
to  build  because  he  had  been  a  bloody  man,  a  man  engaged  in 


Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4.  7 

bloody  wars.  Not  long  before  his  death,  when  great  riches 
were  at  his  command,  and  which  he  had  doubtless  care- 
fully kept  for  a  sacred  purpose,  he  said,  "Now  J  have  pre- 
pared with  all  my  might  for  the  house  of  my  God,  gold  for 
things  to  be  made  of  gold,  and  silver  for  things  to  be  made  of 
silver,  and  other  things  for  other  purposes,  an  immense  amount 
of  gold  and  silver."  He  gave  freely  for  the  house  of  God  of 
his  own  proper  good.  He  seemed  to  feel  that  he  could  not  do 
too  much  to  express  his  gratitude  and  love  to  God,  who  had 
done  great  things  for  him,  and  given  him  a  good  hope  of  an 
inheritance  in  heaven. 

As  the  psalmist  spake  and  acted  as  he  was  moved  by  the 
Holy  Spirit;  by  his  example  we  may  form  a  correct  opinion 
of  our  feelings  toward  God,  whom  we  profess  to  love  and  wor- 
ship. 

It  was  the  desire  of  the  psalmist  that  his  light  should  so 
shine  before  men,  that  they  might  see  his  good  works  and  glo- 
rify his  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

Now  every  christian  has  two  homes — one  where  he  dwells 
with  his  family,  transacts  business  and  manages  his  temporal 
affairs  ;  the  other  where  he  attends  to  the  concerns  of  his 
soul,  and  the  things  which  relate  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 
The  latter  is  far  more  important  than  the  former — as  more 
important  as  his  spiritual  interests  are  more  important  than  his 
temporal.  The  Christian  feels  that  he  has  no  home  of  very 
great  value,  if  he  have  no  place  in  the  house  of  God,  where  he 
can  enjoy  the  faithful  ministry  of  the  word,  having  none  to 
molest  him  or  to  make  him  afraid.  The  home  of  the  mission- 
aries among  the  heathen  is  the  house  of  God.  Our  pilgrim 
fathers  and  puritan  ancestors  felt  that  they  had  no  home  to 
which  they  desired  to  return,  if  they  could  have  no  house  where 


8  Sermon  un  Psalm  xxvii.  4. 

they  could  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  con- 
sciences. They  left  their  country  where  they  felt  they  had  no 
home  to  leave,  that  they  might  find  a  place,  a  home  in  this  west- 
ern wilderness,  where  they  could  worship  God  according  to  their 
understanding  of  the  scriptures.  It  was  a  house  of  God,  and 
a  home  in  it,  which  they  desired,  and  for  which  they  crossed 
the  tempestuous  ocean  and  submitted  to  severe  privations  and 
exposure  to  savage  barbarity.  In  their  conduct  we  seehow  much 
they  valued  for  themselves  and  their  families,  a  home  in  the 
house  of  God.  The  house  of  God  cannot  be  a  home  to  a  Chris- 
tian, if  he  is  compelled  to  conform  to  a  mode  of  worship,  and 
liturgy,  which  his  conscience  disapproves  in  whole  or  even  in 
part. 

Some  of  the  considerations  will  be  mentioned,  which  make 
the  house  of  God  the  most  delightful  home  of  the  christian. 

1.  The  house  of  God  to  which  the  text  has  reference  was  the 
tabernacle.  The  temple  was  built  by  Solomon,  the  son  of  Da- 
vid, king  of  Israel,  and  after  the  death  of  his  father. 

The  tabernacle  was  a  very  costly  and  beautiful  building. 
It  was  built  according  to  a  pattern  God  showed  to  JNIoses  in  the 
mount.  So  great  was  the  liberality  of  the  Hebrews  in  furnish- 
ing the  various  materials,  of  which  the  tabernacle  was  built 
that  Moses  was  obliged  to  restrain  them  ;  for  they  brought 
much  more  than  enough  for  the  service  of  the  work,  which  the 
Lord  commanded  to  make.  And  Moses  gave  commandment, 
and  they  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed  throughout  the  camp,  say- 
ing, Let  neither  man  nor  woman  make  anymore  work  for  the 
offering  of  the  sanctuary.  (Ex.  xxxvi.  4,  G.)  Women  as  well 
as  men  were  equally  concerned  in  furnishing  materials  and  in 
working  for  the  tabernacle,  the  first  house  ever  built  for  the 
public  worship  of  the  true  God.     The  temple  built  by  Solomon 


Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4.  9 

the  most  costly  and  splendid  ever  erected  for  the  worship  of 
God,  was  built  according  to  a  pattern  God  showed  to  David, 
the  father  of  Solomon. 

Should  any  inquiries  be  made,  why  were  such  costly  and 
beautiful  buildings  erected  for  the  worship  of  the  great  Jeho- 
vah? Does  God  delight  in  such  things  ?  Is  not  heaven  his  throne 
and  the  earth  his  footstool?     Several  answers  may  be  given 
to  such  inquiries.     It  was  the  pleasure  of  God  to  try  the  feel- 
ings of  the  Hebrews  toward  him.    He  had  delivered  them  from 
cruel  bondage — supported  them,  and  he  gave  them  a  perfect 
code  of  laws,  more  perfect,  and  far  superior  to  any  then  known 
in  the  world.     By  building  a  tabernacle  according  to  the  pat- 
tern showed  to  Moses  in  the  mount,  the  Hebrews  gave  visible 
proof  of  their  gratitude  to  God — their  honorable  thoughts  of 
his  character,  and  their  approbation  of  his  laws.     It  was  also 
the  pleasure  of  God,  that  the  Hebrews  who  came  out  of  Egypt 
would  make  the  impression  on  their  posterity  that  their  fathers 
loved  and  honored  him,  and  felt  their  obligation  to  obey  all  his 
commands.     The  Hebrew  nation,  separated  from  all  other  na- 
tions, was  the  church  of  God,  the  light  of  the  world.     It  was  of 
great  importance  that  parents  should  make  the  impression  on 
the  minds  of  their  children,  that  they  themselves  loved  and 
honored  him,    whom   they   required    their  children  to   obey 
and  worship.     When  the  rising  generation  saw  the  costly  and 
beautiful  house  erected  for  the  worship  of  God,  they  had  visi- 
ble proofs,  better  than  mere  professions,  that  their  fathers  highly 
respected  him  and  thought  him  worthy  of  supreme  love  and 
adoration.     No  doubt  when  in  Egypt  they  saw  expensive  tem- 
ples, built  for  the  worship  of  false  gods.     How  then  could  it 
be  manifest  without  some  visible  proof  that  the  true  God  was 
as  much  loved  and  honored  as  were  the  gods  of  the  Egyptians. 


10  Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.    4. 

We  know  that  the  law  of  association  has  a  powerful  influence. 
In  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  children  should  associate  the 
ideas  of  beauty,  order,  convenience  and  excellence.  How  can 
Christians  in  dedicating  a  house  to  God  for  his  worship  express 
before  the  world  honorable  feelings  toward  him,  unless  they 
present  an  offering  of  real  value?  In  the  judgment  of  the 
world  our  offering  would  correspond  with  our  feelings.  Can 
we  with  right  feelings  present  to  God  what  is  defective  or 
mean  ?  The  following  passage  teaches  us  how  God  views 
those  who  offer  to  him  what  is  of  but  little  value.  "And  if  j'e 
offer  the  blind  for  sacrifice,  is  it  not  evil  ?  and  if  ye  offer  the 
lame  and  sick,  is  it  not  evil  ?  offer  it  now  to  thy  Governor, 
will  he  be  pleased  with  thee,  or  accept  thy  person  ?  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts."  (Mai.  i.  8.)  David  would  not  worship  God  with 
that  which  cost  him  nothing.   (2d  Sam.  xxiv.  24.) 

Everything  pertaining  to  the  house  of  God  should  be,  if  pos- 
sible, attractive,  that  the  young  may  approach  it  with  pleas- 
ure. The  better  home  of  the  Christian,  let  it  be  remembered^ 
is  the  house  of  God.  He  should  give  visible  proof  that  he  does 
view  it  as  his  better  home, — that  in  which  he  most  delights. 

2.  The  house  of  God  is  the  habitation  where  he  dwells  with 
his  family,  his  adopted  children,  his  sons  and  his  daughters, 
all  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  his  only  begotten  and  dearly  be- 
loved Son.  They  are  made  heirs  of  God;  "and  if  children," 
said  the  apostle,  "then  heirs,  heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with 
Christ,  to  an  inheritance  incorruptible  and  undefiled  and  that 
fadeth  not  away,  reserved  in  heaven  for  them."  (Rom.  viii.  17.) 
God  is  always  found  at  home  in  his  house,  when  his  people  re. 
turn  to  it.  There  he  meets  them,  and  by  his  Spirit  communes 
with  them.  There  he  makes  known  his  will — receives  the 
worship  of  his  people. 


Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4.  11 

Though  they  may  always  enjoy  his  presence,  "where  two  or 
three  are  met  together  in  his  name,"  yet  the  Sabbath  is  the  day 
which  God  has  more  especially  sanctified  and  blessed.  On 
that  day  God  always  expects  to  see  his  children  at  home,  un- 
less prevented  by  some  event  of  his  providence,  over  which 
they  have  no  control.  No  event  of  providence  prevents  God 
from  meeting  his  people  at  the  appointed  time. 

On  the  holy  Sabbath,  God  speaks  to  his  people  by  one  whom 
he  has  called  to  be  a  saint  and  an  ambassador.  He  calls  mere 
of  like  passions  with  their  brethren,  that  they  may  listen  to 
the  word  preached  without  fear,  and  may  act  understanding^ 
and  voluntarily  in  accepting  the  offers  of  mercy.  This  is  the 
method  God  has  adopted  to  publish  his  law  to  make  known  its 
extent  and  spirituality,  its  high  claims  on  the  sinner,  and  the 
impossibility  of  being  justified  by  its  deeds.  No  one  can  come 
to  Christ  and  cordially  receive  him,  till  cut  off  from  all  depen- 
dence on  the  works  of  the  law.  ''  For  I  through  the  law,"  said 
the  apostle,  "  am  dead  to  the  law,  that  I  might  live  with  God."" 
(Gal.  ii.  19.)  To  invite  and  to  persuade  sinners  to  come  to  Christ 
without  showing  them  the  justice  of  God  in  their  condemna- 
tion, is  only  to  encourage  them  to  indulge  a  hope  without  any 
good  foundation.  Many,  it  is  to  be  feared,  without  any  better 
hope,  have  been  encouraged  to  become  members  of  the  visible 
church.  That  preacher  is  unfaithful  and  unworthy  of  his  of- 
fice, who  does  not  fearlessly  assert  and  defend  the  claims  of 
God.     If  faithful, 

"  By  him  the  violated  law  speaks  out 
Its  thunders ;  and  by  him  in  strains  as  sweet 
As  angels  use,  the  Gospel  whispers  peace." 

The  house  of  God  is  the  place,  where  those  called  to  be 
saints  enter  into  a  solemn  covenant  with  him,  and  where  the 


12  Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4. 

covenant  is  sealed  and  renewed  from  time  to  time  by  the  ordi- 
nance of  his  appointment.  Solemn  is  the  scene  and  never  to 
be  forgotten  when  any  enter  into  covenant  with  God,  and  in 
the  presence  of  him  that  searcheth  the  heart,  and  in  the  pres- 
ence of  angels  and  men,  and  by  their  own  act  bind  themselves 
to  be  faithful  unto  death. 

3,  As  man  is  a  social  being,  with  strong  social  susceptibili- 
ties, God,  who  has  a  perfect  knowledge  of  our  nature  and  con- 
stitution, has  made  it  our  duty  to  worship  him  publicly.     The 
appointment  of  one  day  in  seven,  which  God  has  sanctified  and 
■blessed,  was  made  that  men  might  without  any  disturbance  or 
interruption  worship  him.     He  only  had  the  right  to  determine 
the  time   to  be  spent  by  the  whole  community  in  his  house. 
Had  no  day  been  appointed  by  proper  authority,  his  people 
would  have  been  left  in  ignorance,  and  in  a  state  of  barbar- 
ity.    In  the  places  where  the  Sabbath  is  carefully  observed 
we  find  the  people  more  intelligent,  more  prosperous,  more 
moral  and  religious,  more  enterprising  and  better  supplied  with 
the  necessaries  and  comforts  of  life,  than  where  the  Sabbath 
with  its  privileges  is  neglected  and  profaned.     Six  days  are  suf- 
ficient to  provide  for  all  our  temporal  wants.    Had  not  God  him- 
self appointed  the  day  for  public  worship,  on  the  same  day  one 
would  be  in  his  store,  another  in  his  office,  another  in  his  work- 
shop and  another  in  his  field.     It  would  be  difficult  for  a  whole 
community  to  agree  on  the  day  for  the  public  worship  of  God. 
We  see  the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  God  in  the  appointment 
of  a  day,  and  the  very  day  and  the  portion  of  time  to  be  spent 
in  his  service.     His  providence  corresponds  with  his  word.     It 
has  been  found  by  innumerable  proofs  that  those  who  rest  one 
day  in  seven  and  spend  it  in  the  house  of  God,  accomplish  more 
than  those  who  refuse  or  neglect  to  nv  orship  God  on  that  day 


Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4.  13 

The  public  worship  of  God  has  many  advantages.  One  man 
duly  qualified  is  set  apart  and  supported  to  minister  in  holy 
things — to  declare,  explain  and  defend  the  truths,  to  adminis- 
ter the  Christian  ordinances,  and  to  attend  to  the  proper  gov- 
ernment and  discipline  of  the  church. 

Such  is  the  nature  of  man,  that  the  impressions  made  on  his 
mind  in  a  large  assembly,  is  much  more  powerful  than  when 
he  is  in  a  ver}''  small  circle.  The  heat  we  know  is  more  in- 
tense where  a  great  fire  is  raging,  than  it  would  be  if  the  same 
combustibles  were  burning  in  a  number  of  different  places. 
Those,  who  meet  in  a  large  assembly  mutually  influence  each 
other ;  they  feel  the  power  of  sympathy  ;  if  one  is  awakened 
and  converted,  the  change  in  the  spirit  and  conduct  of  the  in- 
dividual is  before  every  one.  The  inference  drawn  by  many 
is  that  conversion  is  as  necessary  for  them  as  it  was  for  the 
subject  of  it.  We  find  a  variety  in  the  dispositions  and  minds 
of  a  large  assembly.  As  in  the  field  of  battle  a  few  bold  spir- 
its lead,  so  in  a  religious  assembly  the  timid  and  irresolute  are 
willing  to  follow  the  more  decided  and  zealous.  The  lovers  of 
pleasure  and  amusement,  when  they  would  experience  the 
highest  degree  of  joy  and  delight,  invite  many  to  unite  with 
them.  The  many  in  a  large  assembly  strengthen  in  the  few 
their  belief  in  the  truths  taught. 

The  preacher,  when  he  sees  a  large  assembly  before  him, 
cannot  but  be  more  animated  than  when  he  sees  before  him 
but  few,  and  his  discourses  not  only  make  a  deeper  impres- 
sion on  the  minds  of  his  hearers,  but  produce  more  important 
results.  There  are  some  who  feel  as  did  Nicodemus,  who 
went  to  Christ  by  night,  unwilling  to  have  it  known  lest  the 
finger  of  scorn  should  be  pointed  at  him,  on  account  of  his  se- 
riousness.    But  they  are  willing  to  meet  with  the  multitude, 


14  Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii,  4. 

because  so  many  are  found  in  the  same  place  and  are  of  the 
same  opinion.  The  larger  the  assembly  the  greater  its  influ- 
ence and  the  greater  is  the  effect  of  the  power  of  sympathy. 

The  establishment  of  a  church  in  the  world — the  appoint- 
ment of  ordinances — the  call  of  men  to  administer  them  as 
well  as  to  preach  the  word,  and  oversee  the  conduct  of  all  the 
members — to  direct  in  the  admission  and  discipline  of  the  mem- 
bers, all  have  reference  to  public  worship.  We  see  the  wis- 
dom and  benevolence  of  God  in  all  the  arrangements  he  has 
made  for  our  benefit. 

From  the  pulpit  much  important  information  may  be  com- 
municated respecting  the  wants  of  the  church  in  different  parts 
of  the  world.  Much  land  still  remains  to  be  possessed,  and 
the  church  is  constituted  the  light  of  the  world,  and  it  is  made 
her  duty  to  extend  her  light  to  all  nations.  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,"  said  Christ,  after  his  resurrection,  to  his  apostles,  "  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  They  were  commanded 
to  "  teach  all  nations,  baptising  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father 
and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  teaching  them  to  do 
whatever  he  commanded  them ;  and  to  encourage  them,  he 
said,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world.  Amen."  (Matt,  xxviii.  19,  20.)  Now  the  church  must 
know  what  parts  of  the  world  are  ignorant  of  the  Gospel,  or 
she  cannot  know  her  duty.  Missionaries  cannot  go  to  the 
destitute  without  being  sent  by  the  church  and  being  support- 
ed. The  preacher  is  the  proper  person  to  make  known  the 
wants  and  duties  of  the  church.  This  he  can  best  do  when 
the  congregation  is  assembled. 

When  any  enter  the  house  of  God,  they  see  before  them  a 
man  of  like  passions  with  themselves,  by  nature  a  child  of 
wrath,  but  called  of  God  and  sent  to  them  to  offer  to  them  free 


Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4.  15 

pardon  on  condition  of  their  repentance  and  faith  in  his  belov- 
ed Son,  to  point  out  to  them  the  dangers  to  which  they  are 
exposed,  and  the  way  by  which  they  may  escape.  The  mes- 
sages delivered,  though  delivered  by  a  man,  are  really  from 
God. 

4.  The  house  of  God  is  the  place  where  he  more  especially 
displays  the  power  of  his  grace.  The  Holy  Spirit  operates 
with  the  word.  The  Scriptures  were  given  by  inspiration  of 
God,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  accompanies  his  own  word,  when 
faithfully  exhibited.  And  the  more  clearly,  solemnly  and  for- 
cibly the  truths  of  Christianity  are  exhibited,  the  more  power- 
fully the  Holy  Spirit  accompanies  them.  When  those  great 
truths,  which  have  particular  reference  to  that  change  essen- 
tial to  salvation,  are  fairly  presented  to  the  mind  of  the  hearer, 
there  seldom  fails  to  be  noticed  a  solemnity  on  the  minds  of 
the  audience.  No  scenes  on  earth  so  deeply  interest  the  Chris- 
tian as  those  which  pass  before  him  in  the  house  of  God,  when 
his  work  is  revived  by  the  powerful  operations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Then  the  church  is  quickened,  refreshed,  becomes 
prayerful  and  engaged  in  the  cause  of  her  Redeemer.  Then 
sinners  are  awakened,  convinced  that  they  are  justly  condem- 
ned, and  are  heard  to  cry,  "Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we 
do  ?"  Then  too,  a  greater  or  less  number  are  hopefully  con- 
verted— commence  their  lives  anew,  and  rejoice  in  the  hope  of 
future  happiness  and  glory.  Then,  too,  important  acces- 
sions are  made  to  the  church.  Who  can  enter  the  house  of  God 
at  such  a  time,  and  not  be  constrained  to  exclaim, "  How  dread- 
ful is  this  place."  The  dependence  of  the  church  and  the  faithful 
preacher  for  success  is  not  on  the  perfection  of  human  instru- 
mentality, but  on  the  Spirit  of  God.  "  Unless  the  Lord  build  the 
house,  they  that  build  it  labor  in  vain."     It  was  in  the  taber- 


16  Sei'mon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4. 

nacle  and  in  the  temple  where  the  glory  of  God  appeared.  It 
was  in  the  holy  city  of  Jerusalem  where  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
poured  out  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  three  thousand  were 
pricked  in  their  hearts  and  were  hopefully  converted.  The 
disciples,  after  the  ascension  of  the  Lord,  spent  ten  days  in 
prayer  in  an  upper  room  in  Jerusalem.  In  answer  to  their 
earnest  prayers  the  Holy  Spirit  was  poured  out.  This  revival 
probably  commenced  in  the  upper  room,  where  they  had  been 
assembled  for  prayer.  Many  times  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  has  been  felt  in  our  churches.  Such  seasons  are  ex- 
ceedingly desirable,  and  may  be  expected  if  we  pray  earnestly 
for  them.  Who  can  recollect  such  scenes  without  earnestly 
praying  for  a  return  of  them.  When  God  grants  his  church 
refreshing  seasons,  it  appears  to  the  hearer  that  God  speaks  to 
him — he  hardly  thinks  of  the  person  who  addresses  him.  How 
affecting  to  the  christian  to  see  all  around  him,  every  one  atten- 
tive to  the  preached  word,  to  hear  the  sobbing  of  the  awakened 
sinner,  and  to  see  the  tear  of  joy  sparkle  in  the  eye  of  the  new 
convert.  The  house  of  God,  when  his  people  are  assembled, 
is  the  place  and  time  where  and  when  the  power  of  his  Spirit  is 
felt. 

5.  The  recollections  of  the  house  of  God — of  the  scenes  there 
witnessed  and  the  feelings  there  experienced,  are  a  perpetual 
source  of  satisfaction  and  happiness.  What  is  heard  with  in- 
terest on  the  Sabbath  is  not  forgotten  during  the  week.  New 
thoughts  are  suggested  to  the  mind  by  the  preacher,  the  re- 
membrance of  which  is  delightful.  The  discourse  that  was 
blessed  to  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  the  sinner  he  often 
calls  to  his  remembrance.  Many  an  hour  is  spent  with  pleas- 
ure  by  Christian  friends  in  conversing  on  subjects  discussed  in 
the  pulpit.    "They that  feared  the  Lord,"  said  Malachi,  "spake 


Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4.  17 

one  to  another ;  and  the  Lord  hearkened  and  heard  it,  and  a 
book  of  remembrance  was  written  before  him  for  them  that 
feared  the  Lord,  and  that  thought  upon  his  name."  "  By  the  riv- 
ers of  Babylon,"  said  the  people  of  God  in  captivity,  "there  we  sat 
down  ;  yea,  we  wept  when  wo  remembered  Zion.  If  I  forget 
thee,  O  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget  her  cunning.  If  I 
do  not  remember  thee,  let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my 
mouth  :  if  I  prefer  not  Jerusalem  above  my  chief  joy."  The 
people  of  God  could  not  forget,  even  when  far  away  from  their 
own  country,  the  happy  seasons  enjoyed  in  the  house  of  God. 
Seasons  of  holy  communion  at  the  table  of  the  Lord  are 
remembered  with  peculiar  interest.  Those  who  worthily  par- 
take of  the  Lord's  supper,  have  the  promise  of  enjoying  a  more 
excellent  feast  in  the  immediate  presence  of  their  Redeemer. 
The  house  of  God  is  the  place  where  the  mourner  is  com- 
forted. If  distressed  on  account  of  the  loss  of  property  or 
friends,  the  word  of  God  applied  to  his  mind  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
directs  his  thoughts  to  his  heavenly  inheritance,  and  to  Christ, 
who  is  a  friend  which  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother. 

If  mourning  on  account  of  his  deficiences  in  the  performance 
of  duty,  the  preacher  directs  his  attention  to  the  forgiving  love 
of  God  and  to  the  fullness  there  is  in  Christ.  In  the  house  Tf  God 
the  wanderer  and  backslider  is  reproved  and  shown  the  way 
by  which  he  may  return  to  God.  The  inquirer  is  taught  how 
he  may  return  to  God-that  the  only  way  is  through  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ.  Many  careless  and  thoughtless  sinners,  who 
enter  the  house  of  God  without  any  consciousness  of  their 
guilt,  or  any  fear  of  future  misery,  receive  impressions  which 
terminate  in  that  change  which  is  essential  to  their  salvation. 
Many  too,  who  have  entered  the  house  of  God  in  distress  on 
account  of  their  guilt,  have,  while  attentively  listening  to  the 


18  Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4. 

word  preached,  perceived  the  burden  removed,  the  dark  clouds 
which  seemed  to  threaten  their  destruction  broken  and  scat- 
tered, and  the  light  of  the  glory  of  God,  as  manifested  in  his 
forgiving  love,  shining  upon  them.  Who  can  describe  the  joy 
of  the  sinner,  when  he  first  indulges  a  good  hope  of  salvation  ? 
The  house  of  God  is  near  to  every  one  in  this  city.  I  speak 
not  of  any  particular  house  of  worship.  There  is  variety 
enough  to  suit  every  one.  It  must  be  very  disagreeable  to  a 
Christian  parent,  when  he  enters  the  house  of  God,  to  enter  a 
crowd  not  knowing  where  to  go — parents  separated  from  their 
children,  often  husbands  from  their  wives.  But  there  are 
many  who  never  treat  their  Creator  and  benefactor  with  suffi- 
cient respect  to  listen  to  his  messages.  God  is  no  respecter  of 
persons.  The  doors  of  his  house  are  open  to  all  who  choose 
to  enter,  and  to  listen  to  the  preaching  of  his  word.  To  the 
poor  as  well  as  to  the  rich  the  Gospel  is  preached.  They  have 
an  opportunity  to  secure  for  themselves  an  inheritance,  infi- 
nitely more  valuable  than  the  greatest  earthly  possession,  and 
it  is  offered  icithout  money  and  ivithout  price. 

It  appears  from  a  review  of  this  discourse  that  it  is  the  duty 
of  every  Christian  who  is  able  to  own  a  house,  in  which  he 
dwells  with  his  family,  to  own  seats  in  the  house  of  God  for 
them.  We  know  that  every  one  who  owns  a  house  soon 
becomes  attached  to  it,  more  than  he  can  feel  toward  a  hired 
house,  or  any  public  place,  the  occupancy  of  which  is  often 
changed.  Every  time  the  Christian  approaches  the  house  of 
God,  he  approaches  his  better  home,  and  he  should  go  to  his  own 
place  in  it  with  his  family,  assured  that  it  is  ready  for  him — 
the  place  ready  consecrated  by  his  prayers  and  tears,  and  by 
many  interesting  recollections. 

What  in  the  future  world  must  be  the  reflections,  how  pain- 


Sermon  on  Psalm  xxvii.  4.  19 

fu],  how  tormenting,  of  those  whose  lot  by  a  kind  providence 
was  cast  near  some  house  of  God  where  his  word  was  faith- 
fully preached,  but  which  they  seldom  if  ever  entered?  How 
must  they  feel  when  they  see  those  whom  they  despised,  while 
in  the  world,  in  their  shining  and  glorified  bodies,  ready  to  pos- 
sess the  inheritance  purchased  for  them,  by  Him  in  whom  they 
trusted  ;  while  they  themselves  in  their  vile  bodies  are  about 
to  be  cast  into  that  flame  where  the  worm  dieth  not  and  the 
fire  is  not  quenched  !  This  will  be  the  view  presented  to  all 
who  make  light  of  the  preached  word,  and  refuse  to  enter  the 
house  of  God.  If  any  cannot  bear  to  hear  these  things  now, 
how  can  they  bear  to  feel  them  and  to  suffer  the  wrath  of  God 
forever?  Come,  for  all  things  are  ready,  is  now  the  invitation 
of  Christ  to  every  inquiring  sinner ;  but  at  the  great  day,  to  all 
who  refuse  in  time  to  accept  it,  he  will  say,  "Depart,  ye  cursed, 
into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels." 
Amen. 


GOD  IS  A  SPIRIT. 

JOHN  IV.  24. 

"  God  is  a  Spirit :  and  they  that  worship  him  must  worship  him  m  spirit 
and  in  truth." 

That  God  i.s  a  Spirit,  immaterial,  invisible  and  omnipresent, 
infinite  in  power,  wisdom  and  goodness,  a  God  of  truth,  jus- 
tice and  mercy,  has  been  the  firm  belief  of  all  the  truly  pious 
of  every  age. 

The  worship  of  some  god  has  been  maintained  almost  uni- 
versally by  all  mankind,  by  the  most  ignorant  as  well  as  by 
the  most  learned. 

Man  is  a  dependent  and  religious  being.  He  feels  his  need 
of  some  superior  power  to  deliver  him  from  evils,  which  he 
cannot  escape,  and  to  grant  him  favors  he  cannot  obtain,  by 
his  own  exertions. 

When  originally  created,  man  was  like  God,  onl}^  infinitely 
inferior.  He  was  able  to  discern  and  love  the  beauty  and 
excellency  of  the  divine  character,  and  to  do  all  that  was 
required  of  him.  So  long  as  he  continued  innocent,  he  wor- 
shipped God  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

But  by  his  apostasy  he  became  an  enemy  of  God,  could  no 
longer  discover  anything  lovely  in  the  divine  character,  and 
could  no  longer  delight  in  his  service.  Conscious  of  guilt, 
and  impenitent,  he  sought  to  hide  himself  from  his  Creator. 
His  descendants  changed  the  "  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God 
into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible  man,  and  to  birds,  and 


Sermon  on  John  iv.  24.  21 

four-footed  beasts  and  creeping  things.  They  changed  the 
truth  of  God  into  a  lie,  and  worshiped  and  served  the  crea- 
ture more  than  the  Creator,  who  is  blessed  forever.  Amen." 
(Rom.  i.  23,  25.) 

By  far  the  greatest  part  of  mankind  are  now  ignorant  of 
the  true  God,  and  are  the  worshipers  of  idols.  "  Their  idols 
are  silver  and  gold,  the  work  of  men's  hands.  They  have 
mouths,  but  they  speak  not ;  eyes  have  they,  but  they  see  not ; 
they  have  ears,  but  they  hear  not ;  noses  have  they,  but  they 
smell  not :  they  have  hands,  but  they  handle  not ;  feet  have 
they,  but  they  walk  not ;  neither  speak  they  through  their 
throats.  They  that  make  them  are  like  them  ;  so  is  every  one 
that  trusteth  in  them."     (Psalm  cxv.  4 — 8.) 

Though  we  cannot  see  God,  who  is  an  invisible  Spirit ;  yet 
we  may  know  him  from  His  works  and  word.  "  For  the  invis- 
ible things  of  Him  from  the  creation  of  the  world,  are  clearly 
seen,  being  understood  by  the  things  that  are  made,  even  his 
eternal  power  and  Godhead  ;  so  that  they  (idolaters)  are  with- 
out excuse."     (Rom.  i.  20.) 

Since  mankind  are  disposed  to  worship  some  god,  and  since 
by  their  apostacy,  they  have  lost  their  knowledge  of  the  true 
God  ;  where  the  light  of  revelation  is  not  enjoyed,  they  wor- 
ship visible  gods.  Feeling  the  necessity  of  a  present  god,  and 
ignorant  of  Him  who  is  an  omnipresent  Spirit,  they  so  multi- 
plied their  gods  as  to  have  one  present  in  every  place  and  for 
every  occasion.  Though  they  acknowledge,  without  being 
aware  of  it,  the  necessity  of  an  omnipresent  Spirit,  infinite  in 
power,  wisdom  and  goodness.  They  know  that  a  material, 
visible  god  can  be  in  but  one  place  at  one  time.  To  supply 
this  deficiency  they  have  made  many  gods. 

In  those  countries  which  are  nominally  Christian,  but  where 
2 


22  Sermon  on  John  iv.  24. 

the  people  are  not  allowed  the  free  use  of  the  Scriptures,  we 
find  them  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  that  worship,  which  God, 
who  is  a  Spirit,  can  accept. 

All  attempted  visible  representation  of  God,  of  Christ,  or  of 
the  prophets,  apostles  or  martyrs,  can  give  us  no  correct 
knowledge  of  their  characters.  The  external  appearance  of 
some  of  the  vilest  persons  that  have  ever  lived,  has  been  beau- 
tiful. Uncommon  excellence  of  character  has  sometimes  been 
found  in  a  deformed  body.  Christ,  when  on  earth,  was  "a 
man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief: "  "  His  visage  was 
so  marred  more  than  any  man,  and  his  form  more  than  the 
sows  of  men."  (Is.  lii.  14.)  When  revealed  to  the  Christian 
by  the  Spirit,  he  appears  to  be  "  the  chief  among  ten  thousand, 
and  altogether  lovely."  The  pictures  seen  in  some  churches 
are  deceptive.  They  cannot  give  a  true  knowledge  of  the 
•characters  of  the  persons  they  are  designed  to  represent. 
They  encourage  a  spirit  of  idolatry.  The  thoughts  of  the 
worshipers  rest  on  the  pictures,  and  never  reach  to  God,  who 
is  a  Spirit.  The  deceptive  impression  made  by  a  beautiful 
picture  is  lasting.     It  cannot  be  excluded  from  the  mind. 

Why  does  the  devout  Christian,  when  he  most  deeply  feels 
the  need  of  Divine  aid,  and  would  most  earnestly  plead  with 
God  for  help,  retire  to  his  closet,  shut  the  door  and  close  his 
eyes,  that  nothing  visible  may  prevent  him  from  worshiping 
God,  who  is  a  Spirit, ''  in  spirit  and  in  truth  ?  "  And  why  do 
the  most  pious  and  successful  pastors  of  our  churches,  when 
offering  prayer  to  God  in  the  sanctuary  for  a  blessing  on  the 
people  committed  to  their  charge,  close  their  eyes  ?  Do  they 
not  close  their  eyes  that  nothing  may  disturb  their  intercourse 
and  communion  with  Him,  who  is  an  invisible  spirit,  and  whom 
they  desire  to  worship  with  the  inmost  feelings  of  their  hearts? 


Sermon  on  John  iv.  24.  23 

The  character  given  to  the  idols  worshiped  in  all  pagan 
nations  corresponds  with  their  corrupt  desires  and  practices. 
External  and  visible  forms  and  rites,  if  they  satisfy  the  pro- 
fessed friends  of  God,  ruin  their  souls. 

II.  "  They  that  worship  God,  must  worship  him  in  spirit  and 
in  truth." 

1.  They  must  worship  him  in  spirit. 

To  worship  him  in  spirit  is  to  worship  him  with  the  inmost 
feelings  of  the  heart.  There  must  be  no  reserve.  When  any 
are  born  of  the  Spirit,  the  deep  feelings  of  their  heart  flow 
out  to  God.  There  is  a  wide  difference  between  the  worship 
of  a  real  Christian,  and  one  whose  heart  has  never  been 
renewed,  however  orthodox  he  may  be,  and  however  serious 
he  may  be  when  in  the  pulpit.  Man  looketh  on  the  outward 
appearance,  but  God  looketh  on  the  heart.  He  is  worthy  of 
our  supreme  love.  There  is  no  defect  in  his  character.  It  is 
infinitely  excellent,  perfect  and  glorious. 

When  the  light  of  the  glory  of  God's  forgiving  love  first 
breaks  in  upon  the  mind  of  a  sinner,  who  has  been  a  subject 
of  deep  conviction,  he  forgets  himself,  and  the  deep  affections 
of  his  heart  flow  out  to  the  object  which  engages  all  his 
thoughts,  and  completely  fills  his  soul.  False  hopes,  by  which 
sinners,  who  have  been  alarmed,  are  delivered  from  their  fear 
of  future  punishment,  may  move  their  feelings.  Their  hearts 
may  overflow  with  love  to  Him,  who  has  done  so  much  for 
them.  But  their  love  may  be  selfish.  They  do  not  love  God 
on  account  of  the  excellency  of  his  character,  but  on  account 
of  his  supposed  goodness  to  them.  The  worship  of  such  per- 
sons is  selfish,  deceptive  and  ruinous.  Their  whole  concern  is 
to  escape  deserved  punishment,  and  to  obtain  happiness. 
They  manifest  no  concern  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  God. 


24  Sermon  on  John  iv.  24. 

There  seems  to  be  a  foundation  for  the  three-fold  distinction, 
noticed  by  the  apostle  in  the  following  passage  (1  Thess. 
V.  23) :  "  And  the  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly,  and 
I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit,  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved 
blameless  unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  Scriptures  in  various  passages,  notice  a  distinction 
between  the  spirit  of  a  man,  and  the  affections  of  his  heart 
"The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit;  a  broken  and  a 
contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise."  (Psalm  li.  17.) 
"The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  them  that  are  of  a  broken  heart,  and 
saveth  such  as  be  of  a  contrite  spirit."  (Psalm  xxxiv.  18.)  "For 
thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  One,  that  inhabiteth  eternity, 
whose  name  is  holy ;  I  dwell  in  the  high  and  holy  place,  with 
him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite  and  humble  spirit,  to  revive  the 
spirit  of  the  humble,  and  to  revive  the  heart  of  the  contrite 
ones."     (Isaiah  Ivii.  15.) 

The  spirit  of  man  is  the  governing  principle  of  his  soul. 
This  determines  his  character.  We  often  speak  of  a  bold,  a 
timid  and  an  angry  spirit ;  but  do  not  use  these  expressions 
when  speaking  of  the  heart.  A  humble  and  contrite  spirit  is 
the  spirit  of  a  sincere  christian. 

Now  there  is  in  every  true  christian  that  which  is  born  of 
the  Spirit  of  God.  This  is  holy,  and  all  its  powers  are  holy. 
No  unholy  thought  ever  originates  in  that  which  is  born  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Though  constantly  opposed  by  the  spirit  of  the 
old  man,  yet  it  always  gains  the  victor}',  and  always  increases 
in  power.  It  is  tliis  which  makes  a  man  a  subject  of  the  king- 
dom of  Christ,  and  entitles  him  to  all  the  privileges  and  bless- 
ings promised  to  the  children  of  God.  The  christian  is  no 
longer  a  subject  of  the  kingdom  of  the  god  of  this  world.  This 
was  doubtless  the  understanding  of  the  apostle,  when  he  thus 


Sermon  on  John  iv.  24,  25 

expressed  himself:  "  For  that  which  I  do,  I  allow  not,  for  what 
I  would,  that  do  I  not ;  but  what  I  hate,  that  do  I.  If  then  I 
do  that  which  I  would  not,  I  consent  unto  the  law  that  it  is 
good.  Now,  then,  it  is  no  more  I  (the  christian)  that  do  it, 
but  sin  that  dwelleth  in  me."  (Rom.  vii.  15 — 17.)  While  the 
christian  is  in  the  present  state,  there  is  a  constant  warfare 
between  the  spirit  of  the  old  man  and  the  spirit  of  the  new 
man.  The  spirit  of  the  latter  is  at  first  feeble,  and  though 
many  times  overcome  by  superior  powers,  yet  by  the  promised 
help  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  always  finally  victorious.  The 
trials  through  which  the  christian  is  called  to  pass,  enable  him 
to  discover  the  remains  of  depravity  in  his  heart,  and  the  sanc- 
tifying influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  help  him  to  mortify  the 
deeds  of  the  body.  The  death  of  the  body  ends  the  warfare. 
When  the  apostle  prayed  that  the  God  of  peace  would  sanc- 
tify the  whole  spirit,  his  meaning,  doubtless,  was,  that  the 
spirit  of  the  old  man  might  be  subject  to  the  spirit  of  the  new 
man,  so  that  the  spirit  of  the  latter  might  act  freel}''  and  with- 
out an}'  hindrance.  He  knew  that  the  affections  of  the  heart 
would  correspond  with  the  spirit — indeed,  that  all  the  powers 
of  the  soul  would  be  subject  to  its  control.  It  was  also  his 
prayer  that  the  powers  of  the  body  might  be  so  employed  as  best 
to  answer  the  design  of  their  Creator.  In  the  performance  of 
our  duty,  much  depends  on  the  strength  of  our  body.  Any 
habit  or  practice  which  impairs  the  strength  of  the  body,  is  sin- 
ful.    It  robs  God  of  the  service  he  justly  requires  of  us. 

The  sanctification  of  the  whole  spirit,  soul  and  body,  produ- 
ces that  peace  which  passeth  understanding,  and  which  is  an 
earnest  of  that  peace  which  will  be  everlasting. 

Now,  there  are  seasons  in  the  experience  of  the  pious,  when 
the  new  man  is  victorious,  and  all  his  powers  are  subject  to  the 


26  Sermon  on  John  iv.  24. 

law  of  Christ.  When  the  Holy  Spirit  "bears  witness  with 
their  spirits  that  they  are  the  children  of  God,"  then  their  doubts 
are  scattered — then  their  warmest  affections  How  out  to  their 
Redeemer,  whose  glory  is  revealed  to  them  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  then  the  worship  of  God  is  a  delight. 

To  promote  the  work  of  sanctification  in  the  hearts  of  chris- 
tians, God  makes  use  of  the  preaching  of  his  word,  and  of  the 
events  of  his  providence.  He  takes  from  them  those  objects 
on  which  their  affections  are  too  strongly  placed.  He  takes 
from  the  covetous  man  his  property — from  a  too  indulgent 
parent  a  beloved  child.  In  various  ways  God  meets  those 
who  are  beginning  to  go  astray,  and  sends  them  weeping  back 
to  the  path  of  duty.  Hypocrites  are  often  left  in  this  world 
to  expose  their  hypocris3\  "  And  we  know  that  all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  to  them  who  are 
called  according  to  his  purpose.'*  (Rom.  viii.  28.)  All  the 
trials  of  the  christian,  when  sanctified,  deepen  his  repentance, 
increase  his  love  of  God,  strengthen  his  faith,  humble  his  pride, 
weaken  his  attachment  to  worldly  possessions  and  brighten 
his  hope  of  an  inheritance,  '*  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that 
fadeth  not  away." 

2.  They  that  worship  him  must  worship  him  in  truth. 

Our  Divine  Lord,  not  long  before  he  left  the  world,  offered 
to  his  Father  the  following  prayer  for  his  disciples :  "Sanc- 
tify them  through  thy  truth ;  thy  word  is  truth."  (John  xvii. 
17.)  He  knew  that  if  they  received  the  essential  truths  of  the 
Gospel  in  the  love  of  them,  that  they  would  never  so  fall  away 
as  to  perish.  The  promise  of  God  would  sustain  them  in  all 
their  trials.  His  prayer  was,  that  the  work  of  sanctification 
should  extend  to  all  the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  which  they  would 
be  most  tempted  to  reject  or  modify.     The  truth,  when  sane- 


Sermon  on  John  iv.  24.  27 

tified,  never  appears  more  glorious  than  when  contemplaitedi 
in  its  simplicit}'.  In  the  works  of  the  most  pious,  who  have 
passed  through  the  most  fiery  trials,  we  find  the  clearest  exhi- 
bitions of  those  truths,  to  which  the  unrenewed  are  most 
opposed. 

1.  To  worship  God  in  truth,  is  to  worship  him  according  to~ 
the  revelations  made  of  himself,  and  of  the  plan  he  has  devised 
and  adopted  for  our  redemption. 

The  revelations  God  has  made  of  himself  and  of  the  method 
he  has  adopted  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  must  correspond 
with  truthful  realities;  and  it  must  be  highly  offensive  to  God 
to  maintain  that  any  of  his  revelations  are  unnecessary  or 
unimportant.  The  character  of  a  well  educated  and  mature 
christian,  if  correctly  described,  would  be  found  to  correspond 
with  all  the  teachings  of  the  volume  of  revelation.  Those  doc- 
trines and  precepts  which  have  reference  to  christian  experi- 
ence, are  found  to  be  written  in  the  heart,  and  established  in 
the  life  of  every  one  that  has  been  born  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
We  have  no  right  to  reject  or  modify  any  truth  we  find  in  the 
volume  of  revelation. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  some  unable  to  read,  and  others 
who  have  no  book  but  the  Bible,  but  who  have  been  born  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  when  giving  an  account  of  the  change 
wrought  in  them,  admit  without  hesitation,  those  doctrines, 
concerning  which  the  learned  have  always  disputed.  They 
give  a  correct  account  of  their  convictions,  their  discovery  of 
the  deep  depravity  of  their  hearts,  the  great  change  wrought 
in  them  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  their  views  of  the  glory  of 
God  shining  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ.  When  they  hear  the 
truths  of  revelation  clearly  exhibited  in  their  simplicity,  they 
find  a  response  in  their  hearts.     Unless  the  change  wrought 


28  Sermon  on  John  iv.  24. 

in  us  corresponds  with  the  teaching  of  the  inspired  volume, 
our  hope  of  salvation  must  be  of  no  value.  If  we  feel  an 
opposition  to  any  of  the  doctrines  of  Scripture,  especially  the 
doctrines  of  Christianity,  we  have  reason  to  be  alarmed,  and 
to  fear  that  we  have  never  been  renewed  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
But,  we  sometimes  find  persons  apparently  opposed  to  certain 
doctrines  of  Scripture,  when  in  fact  they  are  only  opposed  to 
caricatures  of  them,  given  by  those  in  heart  really  opposed  to 
them.  One  of  the  methods  adopted  by  the  enemies  of  the 
truth  to  destroy  its  influence,  is  to  caricature  the  most  essen- 
tial doctrines  of  grace,  that  they  may  appear  unreasonable  and 
unworthy  of  notice. 

How  can  we  worship  God  in  truth  unless  we  have  a  cor- 
rect view  of  our  guilt  and  un worthiness  by  nature — a  sense  of 
obligation  to  him  for  his  distinguishing  grace  ?  If  we  persuade 
ourselves  that  we  have  by  our  own  efforts  effected  our  salva- 
tion, or  made  ourselves  to  differ,  we  rob  God  of  his  glory,  and 
despise  those  no  worse  by  nature  than  ourselves.  Why  God 
takes  this  person  and  passes  by  that,  we  know  not.  In  the 
same  family  where  all  enjoy  the  same  privileges,  w^e  often  see 
one  taken  and  another  left.  God  has  a  perfect  right  to 
bestow  his  favors  as  he  pleases.  He  is  under  no  obligation 
to  save  any  of  the  human  race,  for  all  are  sinners,  and  con- 
demned by  that  law,  which  is  holy  and  just  and  good.  We 
have  reason  to  rejoice  that  he  is  willing  to  save  any  who  sin- 
cerely repent  of  their  sins  and  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
The  condition  of  men  in  this  world  is  determined  by  the  prov- 
idence of  God.  Why  one  becomes  rich,  and  another  continues 
poor,  we  know  not.  One  is  not  made  rich  because  he  is  bet- 
ter than  his  poor  neighbor,  nor  because  he  makes  greater  efforts 
to  increase  his  substance  than  his  poor  neighbor.     It  is  in  vain 


Sermon  on  John  iv.  24.  29 

to  contend  against  God,  and  it  is  folly  to  disregard  the  evi- 
dence of  our  senses.  None  but  those  who  have  been  born  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  can  cordially  approve  the  distinguishing  doc- 
trines of  grace.  The  Scriptures  teach  us  that  "  the  carnal  mind 
is  enmity  against  God,  is  not  subject  to  his  law,  neither  indeed 
can  be."  (Rom.  viii.  7.)  Its  enmity  is  more  especially  mani- 
fested against  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  because  Christ  is 
the  brightness  of  his  Father's  glory  and  the  express  image  of 
his  person.  The  doctrines  of  the  cross  try  the  feelings  of  the 
human  heart. 

There  are  some  who  are  ready  to  express  their  approbation 
of  the  moral  law,  which  is  the  law  of  nature,  but  who  reject 
the  peculiar  doctrines  of  grace.  Some  favor  the  second  table 
of  the  law,  who  neglect  the  first  table.  The  works  of  creation 
declare  the  unity  of  God,  but  give  us  no  knowledge  of  a  plu- 
rality of  persons  in  the  godhead,  and  no  knowledge  of  the 
method  God  has  devised  and  adopted  for  the  redemption  of 
men.  The  Scriptures  more  clearly  than  the  works  of  nature 
declare  the  unity  of  God.  We  are  indebted  to  them  for  all  we 
know  of  any  way  by  which  we  can  be  saved.  Many  are  un- 
willing to  receive  doctrines,  to  which  their  unrenewed  hearts 
are  opposed,  on  the  testimony  of  God.  Though  not  the  wor- 
shipers of  idols,  which  are  visible,  they  worship  gods,  which 
are  the  creatures  of  their  imagination,  or  the  offspring  of  their 
reason.  From  a  survey  of  the  works  of  nature,  or  from  their 
knowledge  of  physical  laws  they  form  their  ideas  of  what  God 
is,  or  ought  to  be,  to  be  worshiped  by  them.  Others,  who  pro- 
fess to  believe  the  Scriptures,  knowing  the  feelings  of  the 
wealthy  and  the  learned  toward  the  humbling  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  have  endeavored  to  modify  those  doctrines,  to  which 
the  unrenewed  are  most  opposed,  bj-  some  philosophical  the- 


30  Sermon  on  John  iv.  24. 

ory.  In  this  way  the  church  has  been  from  age  to  age  cor- 
rupted. The  most  faithful  servants  of  God  have  in  many  in- 
stances been  driven  from  the  heights  of  Zion  to  establish 
churches  among  the  destitute.  The  most  faithful  and  success- 
ful pastors,  who,  at  the  close  of  life  have  left  large  and 
wealthy  congregations  have,  in  not  a  few  instances,  been  suc- 
ceeded by  ambitious  and  popular  preachers,  who  have  cared 
more  for  their  own  interest  than  for  the  salvation  of  their 
people.     I 

The  doctrines  of  Christianity,  if  carefully  examined,  must 
appear  reasonable.  No  one  will  deny  that  he  is  a  sinner,  a 
transgressor  of  that  law,  which  is  holy,  just,  and  good.  And  it 
must  be  evident  that  the  law  of  God  must  be  executed,  or  his 
government  cannot  be  respected.  He  has  declared  that  the 
soul  that  sinneth  shall  die.  The  veracity  of  God  demands  the 
execution  of  His  law.  Should  any  be  pardoned  without  an 
atonement,  how  must  God  appear  to  the  angels  that  sinned, 
who  were  banished  from  Heaven,  and  are  reserved  in  chains 
and  darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day ;  and  how 
must  God  appear  to  holy  angels,  who  saw  their  companions 
punished  without  any  offer  of  pardon?  God  must  manifest 
consistency  of  character,  or  he  cannot  be  worshiped.  Now 
the  Son  of  God  has  become  a  substitute,  approved  by  his  Fa- 
ther for  all  who  will  trust  in  Him.  He  has  assumed  our  na- 
ture, and  united  it  with  the  Divine  nature.  Thus  two  natures 
mysteriously  are  united  in  one  person.  This  person  has 
magnified  the  Divine  law  and  made  it  honorable  by  his  obe- 
dience and  death.  This  Divine  nature  has  given  an  infinite 
value  to  what  he  has  done.  Mercy  and  truth  have  met  to- 
gether in  Him,  and  righteousness  and  peace  have  kissed  each 
other.     By   His  resurrection  from  the  dead,  God  the   Father 


Sermon  on  John  iv.  24.  31 

has  given  proof  that  He  is  fully  satisfied  with  the  part  per- 
formed by  His  beloved  Son,  our  substitute. 

Now,  whether  we  fully  understand  or  not  the  plan  God  has 
adopted  for  our  salvation,  we  have  the  united  testimony  of  all 
true  Christians,  that  as  soon  as  they  came  to  Christ  by  repent- 
ance and  faith  they  were  made  happy  ;  and  their  happiness  far 
exceeded  any  they  had  ever  before  experienced.  Jn  addition 
to  this  they  had  a  firm  hope,  such  as  they  never  had  before, 
of  immortal  life  and  glory.  Ought  not  their  testimony  to  be 
received?  They  declare  what  they  have  seen  and  felt,  and 
their  testimony  is  counteracted  or  contradicted  only  by  the  tes- 
timony of  those  who  never  experienced  what  they  have.  In  a 
court  of  justice  are  witnesses  who  have  not  seen,  and  do  not 
know,  only  from  report,  to  be  compared  with  those  who  have 
themselves  seen,  and  can  relate  all  the  circumstances.  The 
testimony  of  feeling  is  as  strong  as  sight.  Besides,  we  have 
the  testimony  confirmed  by  many  years'  experience,  many 
times  tried,  as  by  the  most  searching  cross-examination.  Let 
me  give  you  the  testimony  of  one  witness.  "  I  was,  like  many 
others,  occupied  with  worldly  pursuits ;  but  the  word  of  God 
was  applied  to  my  conscience,  and  I  felt  that  I  was  a  con- 
demned sinner — justly  condemned.  T  found  that  my  heart  was 
hard,  opposed  to  the  holy  character  of  God,  and  that  I  must 
perish  without  a  new  heart.  In  my  distress,  I  looked  to  Christ 
as  the  only  Saviour,  and  when  my  thoughts  were  fixed  on 
Him,  I  perceived  a  change  in  my  heart.  Light  burst  in  upon  my 
mind.  Christ  appeared  to  be  the  '  chief  among  ten  thousand, 
and  altogether  lovely  ;'  my  hard  heart  became  tender,  and  my 
affections  flowed  out  to  Him  ;  the  glory  of  God  appeared  in 
His  word  and  works.  Old  things  were  passed  away,  and  all 
things  became  new.     The  change  became  permanent,  and  has 


32  Sermon  on  John  iv.  24. 

so  continued  for  many  years.  I  now  have  a  prevailing  hope 
that  death  will  only  be  the  door  through  which  I  shall  enter 
the  world  of  happiness  and  glory." 

APPLICATION. 

1.  Since  God  is  an  Omniscient  and  Omnipresent  Spirit,  we 
know  that  He  is  always  near  us  by  night  and  by  day,  when 
we  go  out  and  come  in  ;  that  He  has  a  perfect  knowledge  of 
all  our  wants,  our  conduct,  and  our  temptations  ;  that  He  is 
ready  to  hear  our  prayers,  and  is  able  and  willing  to  grant  us 
what  we  need.  This  consideration  is  a  source  of  great  com- 
fort to  all  sincere  Christians.  Great  are  the  privileges  of  those 
who  are  in  covenant  with  God,  and  who,  in  all  their  trials, 
have  an  Almighty  friend  near  them  to  deliver  them  from  dan- 
gers seen  and  unseen.  The  covenant  God  has  established 
with  His  people  abounds  with  promises,  corresponding  with 
all  their  real  wants.  He  will  never  leave  nor  forsake  any 
who  trust  in  Him.  But  it  is  a  fearful  thing  for  the  sinner, 
unrenewed,  to  be  always  in  the  presence  of  a  holy  God,  whose 
all-piercing  eye  is  ever  upon  him,  and  who  has  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  all  his  thoughts.  This  should  make  him  afraid 
to  offend  God,  who  is  angry  with  the  wicked,  and  should  make 
him  anxious  to  be  reconciled  to  Him. 

2.  As  God  requires  those  who  worship  Him  to  worship  Him 
in  spirit  and  in  truth,  they  ought  not  to  be  satisfied  with  their 
hope  of  future  happiness,  unless  they  have  good  evidence  that 
they  worship  God  according  to  the  revelations  He  has  given 
of  Himself,  and  the  plan  He  has  adopted  for  our  redemption, 
and  with  the  inmost  feelings  of  our  heart.  All  mere  outward 
service  is  an  offence  to  God,  if  the  heart  is  withholden  from 


Sermon  on  John  iv.  24.  33 

Him.  The  Christian  is  never  so  happy  as  when  the  deep  feel- 
ings of  his  heart  flow  out  to  God.  Men  of  the  world  discern 
a  diflerence  between  prayers,  which  proceed  from  the  heart, 
and  such  as  are  formal.  When  we  worship  God  in  spirit.  His 
spirit  witnesseth  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of 
God.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  many,  who  are  members  of  the 
visible  church,  have  never  experienced  that  deep  work  of 
grace  in  their  hearts  which  fitted  them  to  worship  God  in 
spirit.  They  seem  to  be  satisfied,  if  they  manifest  external 
respect  for  the  institutions  of  Christianity.  Their  prayers  may 
be  the  prayers  of  men  of  doubtful  piety,  who  lived  centuries 
before  they  were  born.  The  prayers  offered  to  God  ought 
surely  to  express  the  feelings  we  have  at  the  time  they  are 
offered.  That  religion  which  secures  the  salvation  of  the  soul 
must  be  personal.  We  must  ourselves  repent,  believe,  and 
worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  or  we  cannot  reasonably 
hope  for  salvation.  It  is  the  highest  happiness  of  the  real 
Christian  himself  to  commune  with  God. 

Finally,  remember,  my  brethren,  God  has  assured  us  that 
the  unsanctified  heart  is  enmity  against  Him,  and  that  it  is 
deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked  ;  and  as 
men  feel  the  necessity  of  some  religion,  they  are  disposed  to 
embrace  that  which  requires  the  least  self-denial,  and  which 
will  give  peace  to  their  minds.  Now,  let  me  ask,  can  a  sav- 
ing change  be  wrought  in  a  heart  naturally  at  enmity  against 
God,  unless  doctrines  are  received,  to  which  the  unrenewed 
heart  is  opposed?  If  men  only  hear  those  doctrines  which 
are  agreeable  to  their  natural  feelings,  and  which  are  highly 
approved  by  men  of  the  world,  they  cannot  experience  that 
change,  without  which  they  cannot  be  saved.  Does  not  the 
true  convert  love  those   truths  he  once  opposed — and  love 


34  Sermon  on  John  iv.  24. 

those  duties  he  once  disliked  ?  The  change  is  in  him,  not  in 
the  word  of  God.  The  spirit  of  God  operates  with  those 
truths,  which  wound  the  feelings  of  the  unrenewed,  and  makes 
them  effectual  to  their  salvation.  Those  who  preach  so  as 
to  please  men  of  the  world,  and  to  be  admired  by  them,  have 
no  reason  to  expect  that  their  hearers  will  be  truly  converted. 
They  may  fill  their  churches,  and  be  liberally  supported;  but 
fearful  will^be  the  account  which  they  must  render  to  Him  who 
is  appointed  to  judge  the  world. 

Those  who  minister  in  holy  things,  must  exhibit  clearly  and 
affectionately  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  the  author  of  the  inspir- 
ed volume  ;  and  those  who  would  make  sure  of  salvation,  must 
never  be  satisfied  till  their  hearts  are  reconciled  to  all  the  doc- 
trines and  precepts  of  revelation,  and  they  can  receive,  with- 
out reserve,  Christ  in  all  his  offices,  as  their  glorious  Re- 
deemer.    Amen. 


THE  HOLINESS  OF  GOD. 

ISAIAH  VI.  1—3. 

"  In  the  year  that  King  Uzzlah  died,  I  saw  also  the  Lord  sittmg  upon  a 
throne  high  and  lifted  up,  and  his  train  filled  the  temple. 

"  Above  it  stood  the  Seraphims  :  each  one  had  six  wings ;  with  twain  he 
covered  his  face,  and  with  twain  he  covered  his  feet,  and  with  twain  he  did 
fly. 

"  And  one  cried  to  another  and  said.  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of 
Hosts,  the  whole  earth  is  full  of  his  glory." 


The  death  of  Uzziah,  who  was  fifty-two  years  king  of  Judah, 
was  not  in  itself  an  event  of  much  importance,  only  as  it  deter- 
mined the  year  when  the  prophet  Isaiah  had  the  remarkable 
vision,  which  the  text  in  part  describes.  Till  he  became  a 
leper  he  was  an  able  statesman,  a  mighty  warrior,  and  a 
renowned  sovereign.  As  long  as  he  sought  the  Lord,  God 
made  him  to  prosper.  But  when  he  was  strong,  his  heart  was 
lifted  up  to  his  destruction.  Because  he  transgressed  against 
the  Lord  his  God,  and  went  into  the  temple  of  the  Lord  to 
burn  incense,  which  none  but  the  priests  were  allowed  to  per- 
form, he  became  a  leper,  and  continued  to  be  thus  punished 
till  the  day  of  his  death. 

Though  the  worship  of  the  true  God  during  the  reign  of 
Uzziah  was  outwardly  maintained,  yet  it  was  greatly  cor- 
rupted by  the  idolatrous  practices  which  were  tolerated.  The 
wickedness  of  the  professed  friends  of  God  provoked  Him  to 
anger  against  them.  To  prepare  the  prophet  Isaiah,  whom  he 
sent  to  instruct  and  reprove  them,  to  meet  the  opposition  to 
which  he  would  be  exposed,  and  the  cruel  persecution  he  would 


36  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1 — 3. 

suffer,  God  was  pleased  to  make  him  more  perfectly  acquainted 
with  his  holy  character  and  purposes  concerning  the  people, 
among  whom  he  was  called  to  labor.  In  like  manner  our 
Divine  Lord  and  Master,  not  long  before  his  crucifixion,  know- 
ing what  treatment  his  disciples  would  receive  from  this 
wicked  world,  thus  addressed  them:  "If  the  world  hate  you, 
ye  know  that  it  hated  me  before  it  hated  you.  If  ye  were  of 
the  world,  the  world  would  love  his  own  ;  but  because  ye  are 
not  of  the  world,  but  I  have  chosen  you  out  of  the  world, 
therefore  the  world  hateth  you.  Remember  the  word 
that  I  said  unto  you,  The  servant  is  not  greater  than  his 
master.  If  they  have  persecuted  me  they  will  also  persecute 
you ;  if  they  have  kept  my  saying,  they  will  keep  yours  also. 
All  these  things  will  they  do  unto  you  for  my  name's  sake, 
because  they  know  not  him  that  sent  me."     (John  xv.  18 — 21.) 

The  vision  Isaiah  had  of  the  holiness  of  God,  was  suited  to 
prepare  him  for  the  very  difficult  work  assigned  him.  It  deeply 
affected  him,  and  gave  him  the  most  abasing  view  of  himself. 
Thus  he  expressed  his  feelings  :  "  Then  said  I,  Wo  is  me  !  for 
I  am  undone;  because  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell 
in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips  ;  for  mine  eyes  have 
seen  the  King,  the  Lord  of  Hosts." 

The  person  whom  Isaiah  saw  seated  on  a  throne  high  and 
lifted  up,  is  the  Son  of  God,  our  mediatorial  King.  Of  this 
we  have  proof  in  the  12th  chapter  of  the  Gospel  of  John.  The 
Evangelist,  after  noticing  the  miracles  of  Christ,  and  the  unbe- 
lief of  the  Jews,  adds:  -'These  things  said  Esaias,  when  he 
saw  His  glory  and  spake  of  him."     (John  xii.  40.) 

The  throne,  "high  and  lifted  up,"  on  which  the  prophet  saw 
the  Son  of  God  sitting,  may  intimate  that  the  work  of  Redemp- 
tion is  a  more  glorious  exhibition  than  the  work  of  creation,  of 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3.  37 

the  holy  character  of  God.  The  former  was,  doubtless,  that 
on  which  the  mind  of  our  Divine  Lord  was  fixed. 

The  Son  of  God  appeared  in  the  temple,  which  had  been 
greatly  polluted,  to  consecrate  it  anew.  During  his  ministry 
on  the  earth,  he  drove  from  his  Father's  house  those  that  sold 
oxen  and  sheep  and  doves,  and  the  changers  of  money. 

"Above  the  throne  stood  the  Seraphims."  These  are  sup- 
posed to  be  the  highest  order  of  angels.  They  dwell  near  the 
throne  of  God,  and  never  cease  to  worship  him  with  all  their 
powers.  They  are  ministering  spirits  to  Christ  and  to  his 
church.  The  work  of  redemption  is  that  which  interests  them 
deepl)^,  and  into  which  they  desire  to  look. 

"Each  one  had  six  wings;  with  twain  he  covered  his  face." 
This  may  intimate  that  they  were  unable  to  bear  a  full  view 
of  the  dazzling  splendor  of  the  glory  of  the  holiness  of  God 
shining  in  the  face  of  his  beloved  and  only  begotten  Son.  God 
would  not  permit  Moses,  distinguished  as  he  was  for  piety,  to 
behold  his  face.  He  said  to  him,  "  Thou  canst  not  see  my 
face ;  for  there  shall  no  man  see  me  and  live."  In  mercy,  God 
makes  only  such  revelations  of  his  perfections  to  men  as  they 
are  able  to  bear. 

"With  twain  each  of  the  Seraphims  covered  his  feet."  This 
may  intimate  that  the  highest  order  of  angels  feel  that  their 
very  best  services  are  unworthy  of  the  notice  of  Him  who  is 
infinitely  holy.  The  more  distinguished  any  christian  is  for 
piety,  the  less  he  thinks  of  what  he  has  done  for  Him  who  gave 
his  life  to  redeem  him.  Well  might  the  Seraphim  view  the 
greatest  work  they  ever  performed,  of  small  importance  com- 
pared with  what  the  Son  of  God  undertook  and  has  accom- 
plished for  our  redemption.  When  their  thoughts  were 
directed  to  God,  their  knowledge  compared  with  his,  appeared 


38  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3. 

to  be  but  ignorance — their  wisdom  but  folly — their  strength 
but  weakness,  and  their  holiness  but  an  obscure  reflection  of 
the  holiness  of  their  Creator.  How  circumscribed  must  be 
the  views  of  all  finite  beings,  even  the  most  intelligent,  and 
how  limited  the  range  of  their  noblest  thoughts  !  "jFor  my 
thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts,  saith  the  Lord,  neither  are 
your  ways  my  ways.  For  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the 
earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than  your  ways,  and  my  thoughts 
than  your  thoughts." 

''  With  twain  each  of  the  Seraphims  did  fly."  This  may 
signify  their  readiness  to  obey  the  commands  of  God,  and  the 
celerity  with  which  they  executed  them.  The  greater  the 
advancement  of  any  christian  in  holiness,  the  more  ready  he 
is  to  do  the  will  of  God,  however  difficult  the  duty  he  is  called 
to  perform,  and  the  more  rapid  and  energetic  his  movements 
in  the  accomplishment  of  the  object  of  his  pursuit. 

This  view  of  the  Seraphim  is  a  beautiful  representation  of 
the  humility  and  obedience  of  holy  angels  in  heaven.  It  may, 
however,  be  observed,  the  humility  of  holy  angels  is  in  some 
respects  difl'erent  from  that  of  christians.  The  former  cannot 
be  conscious  of  guilt,  and  consequently  cannot  repent  and 
experience  brokenness  of  spirit  and  contrition  of  heart.  They 
never  feel  forgiving  love,  but  when  they  behold  the  glory  of 
the  holiness  of  God,  they  have  a  deep  sense  of  their  unworthi- 
ness  of  his  notice.  "The  heavens  are  not  clean  in  his  sight 
and  his  angels  he  chargeth  with  folly."  The  infidel  may  be 
convinced  that  he  is  infinitely  inferior  to  God  in  knowledge, 
wisdom  and  power ;  but  may  be  unwilling  to  confess  his 
guilt,  or  to  look  to  Christ  for  pardon.  Ignorant  of  the  holiness 
of  God,  he  has  no  sense  of  his  vileness. 

While  the  thoughts  of  the  Seraphims  were  fixed  on  him 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3.  39 

whom  they  saw  sitting  on  a  throne  high  and  lifted  up,  and  also, 
doubtless,  on  the  plan  and  work  of  Redemption,  they  cried  one 
to  another,  and  said,  "Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 
the  whole  earth  is  full  of  his  glory." 

No  discourse  was  delivered  by  any  one  of  them — no  hymn 
was  sung,  but  the  single  word  "^oZy"  seemed  to  comprehend 
and  express  their  thoughts  of  the  glory  of  God's  holiness,  as  it 
shone  in  the  face  of  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne  high  and 
lifted  up.  Whether  the  pronouncing  of  the  word  "holy  "  three 
times  by  the  Seraphims  be  any  evidence  of  their  adoration  of 
three  persons  in  the  ever  blessed  Trinity,  we  cannot  certainly 
determine.  That  they  had  a  knowledge  of  a  plurality  of  per- 
sons in  the  Godhead  cannot  be  questioned.  "  The  secret  of  the 
Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  Him."  God  appeared  to  them  to 
be  holy  in  all  the  revelations  he  had  made  of  himself,  in  his 
works  of  creation,  providence  and  redemption.  The  moral  law 
is  a  transcript  of  his  character  as  made  known  to  our  first 
parents  before  their  apostasy.  This  law  is  holy,  just  and  good. 
The  law  of  faith  is  a  transcript  of  the  Divine  character,  as 
made  known  to  man  after  his  apostasy.  This  cannot  be 
understood  without  a  knowledge  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 
This  law  is  holy  and  just  and  merciful,  as  well  as  good.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Seraphims  had  a  correct  understand- 
ing of  the  revelations  which  God  had  made  of  his  gracious 
purposes  concerning  perishing  men.  These  revelations  became 
more  full  and  particular,  till  the  christian  church  was  firmly 
established  in  the  world. 

The  holiness  of  God  is  that  perfection  of  His  character,  on 
which  the  Seraphims  delighted  to  dwell.  This  seemed  to  be 
the  all-absorbing  subject  of  their  meditations.  This  very 
important  and  sublime  subject  we  ought  to  understand.  For 
"without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 


40  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3. 

This  is  the  subject  to  which  your  attention  is  now  directed. 
It  may  be  observed, 

1.  Freedom  from  moral  evil,  a  common  definition  of  the 
holiness  of  God,  is  by  no  means  a  satisfactory  view  of  this 
perfection. 

Freedom  from  moral  evil  may  be  predicated  of  beings  not 
capable  of  sinning.  There  can  be  no  moral  evil  in  any  of  the 
lower  orders  of  animals.  They  are  not  subjects  of  the  moral 
government  of  God.  They  have  no  discernment  of  the  differ- 
ence between  good  and  evil  in  a  moral  sense. 

That  God  was  as  holy  as  he  is  now  before  he  created  any  of 
the  subjects  of  his  moral  government,  and  consequently  before 
moral  evil  existed,  is  evident  from  the  consideration  of  his 
immutability.  It  may  here  be  added,  destitute  of  holiness  is 
not  a  satisfactory  view  of  human  depravity.  To  be  destitute 
of  that  holiness  which  God  requires  of  men,  is  not  necessarily 
to  be  depraved.  The  lower  orders  of  animals  are  not 
depraved,  though  destitute  of  that  holiness  which  is  essential 
to  the  christian  character.  It  is  true,  the  subjects  of  God's 
moral  government,  who  are  destitute  of  holiness,  are  depraved, 
and  totally  depraved. 

2.  The  holiness  of  God  does  not  consist  merely  in  his  hatred 
of  sin. 

God  does  indeed  hate  sin,  and  looks  upon  all  transgressions 
of  his  moral  law  with  abhorrence.  Hatred  of  sin  where  it 
exists  and  is  known,  is  essential  to  holiness  of  character,  and 
the  greater  the  advancement  of  any  in  holiness,  the  greater  is 
their  hatred  of  sin.  God,  who  is  infinitely  holy,  looks  upon  all 
sin  with  infinite  abhorrence.  But  the  holiness  of  God  was 
clearly  manifested  in  heaven  before  the  apostasy  of  the  angels 
that  sinned,  and  consequently  before  he  could  exercise  hatred 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3.  41 

of  sin.     This  holiness  did  not  depend  for  its  existence  or  mani- 
festation on  the  transgression  of  his  law. 

3.  It  appears  to  be  a  very  common  opinion  that  the  holiness 
of  God  has  respect  only  to  the  subjects  of  his  moral  govern- 
ment. That  they  hold  the  highest  place  in  his  thoughts  and 
affections,  is  readily  admitted.  Man  is  constituted  the  lord  of 
this  lower  world.  "He  was  made  but  little  lower  than  the 
angels,  and  crowned  with  glory  and  honor."  The  government 
of  the  world  has  always  had  respect  to  his  moral  conduct. 
The  history  of  the  Jews  affords  abundant  proofs  of  the  correct- 
ness of  this  observation.  The  course  of  Divine  providence 
•corresponds  with  their  conduct.  When  faithful  in  the  per- 
formance of  religious  duties,  they  were  prosperous  ;  but  when 
they  departed  from  God  he  visited  them  with  his  judgments. 
Many  are  the  works  of  God  in  which  moral  beings  appear  to 
have  no  immediate  interest,  and  which  have  no  moral  char- 
acter. The  moral  kingdom  of  God  embraces  but  a  small  por- 
tion of  his  creatures,  and  occupies  but  a  small  space  in  his 
vast  empire.  But  the  government  of  God  is  universal  in 
extent,  and  everlasting  in  duration.  "  Not  a  sparrow  falleth 
to  the  ground  without  him,  and  the  very  hairs  of  our  head  are 
all  numbered."     This  holiness  extends  to  all  his  works. 

4.  The  holiness  of  God  is  essential  to  his  nature  and  charac- 
ter. "  This,"  observes  a  distinguished  divine,  "  is  the  blessed- 
ness and  nobleness  of  his  nature  ;  it  renders  him  glorious  in 
himself,  and  glorious  to  his  creatures,  that  understand  any- 
thing of  this  lovely  perfection.  The  holiness  of  God  is  his 
glory  and  crown."  *'  Who  is  like  unto  thee,"  sang  Moses  and 
the  children  of  Israel,  when  they  had  crossed  the  Red  Sea, 
■"  glorious  in  holiness,  fearful  in  praises,  doing  wonders."  (Ex. 
XV.  n.) 


42  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3. 

The  end  which  God  had  in  view  in  the  creation  of  the 
world,  and  which  he  has  in  view  in  its  government,  corres- 
ponds with  his  holy  nature  and  eternal  purposes.  For  aught 
we  know,  he  may  have  created  as  many  worlds  as  there  are 
stars,  which  in  a  clear  night  twinkle  in  the  heavens.  These 
worlds  may  be  inhabited  by  innumerable  moral  beings,  infe- 
rior or  superior  to  us.  And  the  administration  of  the  Divine 
government  in  this  province  of  his  vast  empire  may  have  an 
influence  upon  the  inhabitants  of  all  other  worlds.  Should  this 
government,  the  United  States,  manifest  partiality  toward  any 
one  of  States,  it  would  not  be  respected  by  the  other  States. 
The  end  which  God  has  ever  had  in  view  is  the  glory  of  his 
holiness.  Their  honor  is  the  highest  object  which  the  great 
men  of  this  world  seek.  To  obtain  it  they  submit  to  great 
privations  and  hardships.  They  prefer  death  to  its  loss.  The 
following  passage  gives  us  a  scripture  view  of  the  end  God 
had  in  view  in  the  creation  of  the  world,  and  which  he  has  in 
view  in  the  administration  of  his  government. 

"And  the  four  beasts  (or  living  creatures)  had  each  of  them 
six  wings  about  him,  and  they  were  full  of  eyes  within:  and 
they  rest  not  day  and  night,  saying  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God 
Almight}^  who  was  and  is,  and  is  to  come.  And  when  those 
beasts  (or  living  creatures)  give  glory  and  honor  and  thanks 
to  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  who  liveth  forever  and  ever,  the 
four  and  twenty  elders  fall  down  before  him  that  sat  on  the 
throne,  and  worship  Him  that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  and  cast 
their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying,  "Thou  art  worthy, 
O  Lord,  to  receive  glory  and  honor  and  power  ;  for  thou 
hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and 
were  created."  (Rev.  iv.  8 — 10.)  The  happiness  of  his 
creatures  could    not   be   the   end   God    had   in   view  when 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3.  43 

none  of  them  existed.  Nor  could  his  own  happiness  be 
the  end  ;  for  that  could  not  be  increased.  Those  who  are 
most  like  God,  serve  him  because  they  love  him.  When  filled 
with  all  the  fullness  of  God,  or  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  they 
forgot  themselves  and  their  own  happiness.  Their  only  desire 
is  to  do  the  will  of  God.  Those  who  are  influenced  in  the  per- 
formance of  duty  only  by  a  fear  of  future  misery  or  a  hope  of 
future  happiness,  are  not  holy,  and  cannot  be  christians. 

5.  A  knowledge  of  himself  helps  the  christian  to  obtain  a 
correct  knowledge  of  God's  holiness. 

Now,  we  know  that  every  one  whose  feelings  are  strong, 
whether  holy  or  unholy,  is  desirous  of  an  opportunity  for  the 
expression  of  them,  whether  the  expression  increase  his  happi- 
ness or  not.  The  apostle  Paul,  in  view  of  the  severe  trials  to 
which  his  fidelity  exposed  him,  said,  "  Woe  is  me,  if  I  preach 
not  the  Gospel."  It  was  not  a  regard  to  present  or  future  hap- 
piness that  moved  him,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  operating  in  his 
heart.  There  was  a  time  when  the  prophet  Jeremiah  deter- 
mined to  keep  silence,  because  every  one  mocked  him  and 
treated  him  with  contempt.  "  I  am  in  derision  daily,"  he  said, 
"  every  one  mocketh  me.  Then  I  said  I  will  not  make  mention 
of  him,  nor  speak  any  more  in  His  name;  but  his' word  was 
in  my  heart  as  a  burning  fire  shut  up  in  my  bones,  and  I  was 
weary  with  forbearing  and  I  could  not  stay."  Such  is  the  human 
mind,  that  the  exercise  of  its  powers  is  necessary  to  its  con- 
tinued existence.  It  is  the  law  of  holiness  which  gives  them 
proper  direction,  and  which  subjects  them  to  proper  discipline. 
A  pure  spirit  cannot  but  be  active. 

God  is  a  spirit,  and  the  most  active  in  the  universe.  This 
must  be  evident  to  every  one  who  contemplates  his  vast 
works  and  the  extent  of  his  government.     Who  can  have  any 


44  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3. 

adequate  conception  of  the  exercise  of  the  powers  of  Him 
whose  government  extends  to  all  worlds,  to  all  the  vast  bodies 
that  roll  through  the  heavens,  to  the  different  orders  of  angels, 
holy  and  unholy,  to  the  hundreds  of  millions  of  the  human 
race,  and  to  all  other  of  his  creatures,  animate  and  inanimate  ? 
His  knowledge  and  wisdom  and  power  are  every  moment 
required  for  their  preservation.  Should  he  for  a  moment 
leave  them  to  depend  on  themselves,  they  would  cease  to  be. 
The  man,  we  know,  who  possesses  great  physical  power, 
delights  to  exercise  it.  So  also  the  man  of  uncommon  powers 
of  mind  loves  to  display  them,  and  the  man  of  great  wealth  is 
pleased  to  do  some  great  thing,  or  to  give  some  proof  of  his 
munificence.  Now,  as  all  the  attributes  of  God  are  infinite,  it 
is  His  pleasure  to  exercise  or  display  them.  As  holiness  in  the 
christian  gives  a  right  direction  to  all  his  purposes,  feelings  and 
actions,  and  makes  them  harmonize  with  the  wall  of  God,  of 
whom  and  through  whom,  and  to  whom  are  all  things,  so  holi- 
ness  in  God  makes  all  his  purposes,  revelations  and  works  of 
creation,  providence  and  redemption,  correspond  with  the  vast 
plan  which  he  is  executing,  and  the  accomplishment  of  whose 
ultimate  object,  is  infinitely  distant.  It  is  the  holiness  of  God 
which  gives  excellency  to  his  character,  and  it  is  the  holiness 
of  the  redeemed  which  delights  Him.  The  purposes  of  God 
correspond  with  His  holy  nature,  and  the  method  adopted  for 
the  accomplishment  of  them  is  holy.  The  will  of  God,  as 
made  known  in  the  volume  of  revelation,  is  the  only  standard 
by  which  we  may  determine  whether  we  are  holy  or  not,  and 
whether  we  may  hope  for  heaven  or  not.  The  following 
appears  to  be  a  proper  view  of  the  holiness  of  God: 

6.  The  holiness  of  God  does  not  appear  to  be  a  distinct  attri- 
bute, like  knowledge,  wisdom,  power  or  goodness.     It  seems  to 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3.  45 

have  reference  to  all  his  attributes,  and  to  result  from  their 
harmonious  operation,  directed  to  the  accomplishment  of  that 
noble  and  glorious  object  which  he  ever  has  in  view.  It  may 
be  considered  a  universal  law,  which  subjects  all  things  to  the 
Divine  will.  By  this  law,  the  nature  of  God,  his  attributes, 
his  revelations,  all  his  works,  and  the  administration  of  his 
universal  government,  all  have  reference  to  his  ultimate 
end,  his  own  glory.  Though  God  is  self-moved,  such  is  his 
nature  that  all  his  acts  are  holy.  The  law  of  holiness  is  the 
law  of  a  great  sovereign,  and  a  great  empire.  By  this  law  all 
the  disorders  and  evils  in  the  world  will  be  overruled  for 
good. 

7.  The  holiness  of  God  appears  more  gloriously  in  the  work 
of  redemption  than  in  the  work  of  creation. 

Man,  the  lord  of  this  lower  world,  was  created  holy ;  the 
law  he  was  required  to  observe  is  holy  and  just  and  good.  Its 
penalty  for  disobedience,  is  everlasting  death.  When  God 
punished  the  angels  that  sinned,  he  made  a  glorious  display  of 
his]  justice,  which  is  one  manifestation  of  his  holiness.  Jus- 
tice demanded  the  punishment  of  man,  when  guilty  of  disobedi- 
ence. Had  God  treated  him  as  he  treated  the  angels,  it  would 
have  been  another  display  of  his  justice.  It  would  have  been 
the  punishment  of  dependent  beings,  creatures,  servants. 
They  might  have  reasoned,  as  servants  often  do,  and  from  a 
knowledge  of  facts.  If  God  had  a  Son,  they  might  say,  much 
more  dear  to  him,  yea,  infinitely  more  dear  to  him  than  any  of 
his  creatures,  he  would  spare  him,  and  not  punish  him  as  he 
does  us,  if  a  transgressor  of  his  law,  much  less,  if  innocent,  and 
if  he  should  offer  to  become  a  substitute  for  us.  The  very 
offer  of  his  Son  would  be  such  an  expression  of  his  love,  that 
God  would  accept  it  as  he  did  the  consent  of  the  patriarch 


46  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3. 

Abraham,  to  sacrifice  his  son  Isaac.  Now  when  God  made 
known  his  purposes  of  grace  concerning  fallen  man,  to  main- 
tain his  authority  among  the  angels,  who  were  not  indifferent 
spectators  of  transactions  doubtless  known  to  them — both  to 
the  holy  and  happy,  and  the  unholy  and  miserable — it  seemed 
to  be  necessary  that  they  should  see  consistency  in  the  admin- 
istration of  the  Divine  government.  As  God  made  a  revela- 
tion of  his  mercy,  which  is  a  brighter  view  of  his  character 
than  was  made  by  the  law  by  which  sinning  angels  were  pun- 
ished, or  the  law  by  which  apostate  man  was  condemned  ;  it 
was  necessary  to  be,  and  appear  to  be,  consistent  in  the  admin- 
istration of  his  government,  that  he  should  make  a  more  glori- 
ous exhibition  than  before  made,  of  his  justice  or  holiness. 
Otherwise,  how  could  holy  angels  see  the  justice  of  God  in  the 
condemnation  of  their  former  companions,  or  the  latter  his 
justice  in  their  punishment?  The  revelation  of  the  forgiving 
love  of  God  to  fallen  man,  must  have  occasioned  in  the  minds 
of  holy  angels,  perplexity,  and  have  encouraged  rebellion,  had 
they  not  seen  justice  fully  satisfied  by  the  interposition  and 
death  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  offer  of  the  Son  of  God,  infi- 
nitely more  dear  to  him  than  any  or  all  his  creatures,  to  endure 
the  penalty  of  the  Divine  law  in  the  room  of  all  disposed  to 
trust  in  him,  gave  a  more  glorious  view  of  the  justice 
and  holiness  of  God,  than  had  before  been  given  to  holy  or 
unholy  angels.  The  holiness  of  God  strikingly  appears  in 
every  part  of  the  plan  and  work  of  redemption.  In  the  suffer- 
ings and  death  of  the  second  person  of  the  Trinity,  we  see  how 
much  God  hates  sin  and  loves  holiness.  "  Where,"  observes  an 
eminent  divine,  "did  sin  ever  appear  so  irreconcilable  to  God? 
Where  did  God  ever  break  out  so  furiously  against  iniquity? 
The  Father  would  have  the  most  excellent  person,  the  next  in 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3.  47 

order  to  himself,  and  equal  to  him  in  all  the  glorious  perfec- 
tions of  his  nature,  die  on  a  disgraceful  cross,  and  be  exposed 
to  the  flames  of  Divine  wrath,  rather  than  sin  should  live,  and 
his  holiness  remain  forever  disparaged  by  the  violations  of  his 
law." 

The  Son  of  God  is  the  brightness  of  his  Father's  glory,  and 
the  express  image  of  his  person.  But  man  was  originally  cre- 
ated in  the  image  of  God.  The  image  of  God  in  man  was 
only  a  representation  of  the  character  of  God,  as  revealed  to 
him  before  his  apostasy,  in  the  moral  law.  But  Christ  is  the 
image  of  God  in  a  higher  sense.  He  corresponds  with  the 
law  of  faith,  and  with  all  the  revelations  God  has  made  of 
himself,  both  in  the  law  and  in  the  Gospel. 

The  work  of  redemption  is  the  great  work  of  God  on  which 
his  mind  is  fixed,  and  on  which  all  holy  beings  will  forever 
dwell  with  increasing  delight. 

When  God  first  made  a  revelation  of  his  forgiving  love, 
holy  angels  must  have  been  filled  with  wonder,  as  they  had 
seen  some  of  their  number  on  account  of  their  sin,  banished 
from  heaven,  and  reserved  in  chains  under  darkness  unto  the 
judgment  of  the  great  day ;  it  was  natural  for  them  to  expect 
that  apostate  man  would  in  like  manner  be  punished.  They 
could  see  no  way  by  which  God  could  be  just,  keep  his  word 
and  maintain  his  authority,  and  pardon  transgressors  of  his 
holy  law.  They  could  not  know  that  God  had  a  Son  without 
a  revelation.  When,  therefore,  they  understood  that  God  had 
a  Son,  and  that  he  was  willing  to  take  the  sinner's  place,  and 
to  die  in  his  stead,  they  were  filled  with  delight  and  rapture. 
They  clearly  saw  how  the  holiness  of  God  could  more  glori- 
ously appear  in  the  justification  of  all  who  believe  in  Jesus, 
than  in  their  punishment.     The  angels  that  sinned,  and  who 


48  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3. 

are  suffering  the  wrath  of  God,  cannot  bring  any  charge  against 
him  of  inconsistency,  or  accuse  him  of  punishing  them  without 
sufficient  cause.  As  much  greater,  more  excellent  and  more 
dignified  as  the  second  Adam  is  than  the  first,  so  much  more 
gloriously  the  holiness  of  God  appears  in  the  death  of  the  for- 
mer, than  it  could  appear  in  the  death  of  the  latter  and  his 
posterity.  Christianity  has  not  diminished  our  obligation  to 
obey  the  moral  laws,  but  has  strengthened  its  authority,  and 
given  it  lustre.  The  church  of  God,  redeemed  by  the  blood  of 
Christ,  is  a  holy  church.  "  But  ye  are  a  chosen  generation," 
said  Peter  to  the  saints  whom  he  addressed,  "  a  royal  priest- 
hood, a  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people,  that  ye  should  show 
forth  the  praises  of  Him  who  has  called  you  out  of  darkness 
into  His  marvellous  light."  (1  Pet.  ii.  9.)  "  Know  ye  not," 
said  the  apostle  Paul  to  the  church  of  Corinth,  "  that  ye  are  the 
temple  of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ?  If 
any  man  defile  the  temple  of  God,  him  shall  God  destroy ;  for 
the  temple  of  God  is  holy,  which  temple  ye  are." 

REFLECTIONS. 

Since  it  is  manifest  from  the  view  we  have  taken  of  the 
holiness  of  God,  that  his  very  nature,  purposes,  affections,  acts 
and  works  are  holy  ;  he  must  look  upon  all  sin,  in  any  of  his 
creatures,  with  infinite  abhorrence.  Man  we  know  was  ori- 
ginally created  holy,  with  full  power  to  do  the  will  of  God.  So 
long  as  he  continued  innocent,  God  was  pleased  with  him,  and 
loved  him.  He  was  the  property  of  God,  who  created  him, 
and  on  whom  he  depended  for  the  continuance  of  his  being. 
As  the  holiness  of  God  was  manifested  in  his  creation,  so  his 
holiness  was  manifested  in  his  condemnation,  and  would  have 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3.  49 

been  manifested  in  his  punishment,  had  no  provision  been  made 
for  his  redemption.  As  the  moral  law  was  written  upon  the 
heart  of  man,  when  created,  so  the  law  of  faith  or  of  grace 
must  be  written  upon  the  heart  of  every  one  who  can  please 
God.  It  may  be  a  question,  perhaps  it  may  be  thought  a  curi- 
ous question,  whether  man,  had  he  never  sinned,  could  without 
some  change  of  nature,  have  worshiped  the  three  persons  in 
the  ever  blessed  Trinity.  It  does  not  appear  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, that  any  revelations  of  a  plurality  of  persons  in  the  God- 
head was  made  to  our  first  parents  before  their  apostasy.  The 
worship  of  innocent  man  must  have  been  very  different  from 
the  worship  of  the  christian.  The  humility  of  the  former  must 
have  been  very  different  from  that  of  the  latter.  The  former 
had  no  consciousness  of  guilt,  could  not  repent,  as  he  had  not 
sinned — could  not  believe,  as  he  depended  on  his  own  works 
and  not  on  the  works  of  another  for  justification,  consequently 
could  not  present  the  sacrifice  of  a  broken  spirit,  a  broken  and 
a  contrite  heart.  Now  the  law  of  faith  or  of  grace  written  in 
the  heart  of  the  christian  must  be  different  from  the  law  writ- 
ten in  the  heart  of  innocent  man. — From  the  treatment  the 
angels  who  sinned  received  from  their  offended  Sovereign,  we 
may  learn  how  God  views  sin,  and  how  he  will  punish  it. 
They  were  the  creatures  of  God,  were  created  in  His  image 
sustained  a  nearer  relation  to  Him  than  children  do  to  their 
parents,  had,  for  aught  we  know,  faithfully  served  Him  for  a 
long  period  ;  but  for  transgression  of  His  law,  which  is  holy, 
just  and  good,  they  were  banished  from  heaven,  and  are  now 
reserved  in  chains  under  darkness,  unto  the  judgment  of  the 
great  day.  Now,  if  we  overlook  for  a  moment  the  expression 
of  God's  displeasure,  it  is  manifest  that  so  nicely  arranged, 
adjusted  and  balanced,  is  the  moral  kingdom  of  God,  and  in 


50  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3. 

such  perfect  harmony  was  the  original  structure  of  the  moral 
powers  of  His  subjects,  that  the  natural  consequence  of  sin 
was  remediless  ruin.  But  how  could  God  manifest  consistency 
of  character  and  support  His  authority,  without  an  expression 
of  His  hatred  of  sin,  corresponding  with  His  infinite  holiness? 
Admitting  that  God  is  infinitely  holy.  His  hatred  of  sin  must  be 
infinite  ;  and  how  can  He  express  His  hatred  of  sin  except  by 
its  punishment  ?  The  Scriptures  assure  us  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
that  God  has  banished  the  angels  that  sinned,  from  heaven, 
and  has  reserved  them  in  chains  under  darkness  unto  the  judg- 
ment of  the  great  day,  when  they  will  be  punished  also  for 
their  opposition  to  his  Son,  and  to  the  church  redeemed  by  his 
sufferings  and  death.  How  dreadful  and  certain,  then,  must  be 
the  doom  of  the  impenitent  sinner,  the  wrath  of  an  infinite  God 
resting  on  him  forever  !  how  groundless  all  hope  of  escape  ! 
If  the  angels  that  sinned  did  not  escape,  how  can  you,  sinner, 
if  you  continue  impenitent,  hope  to  escape  the  punishment  due 
to  your  innumerable  transgressions  ?  Pause,  and  think  of  these 
things.     Be  alarmed  in  season. 

Christianity  has  not  repealed  or  modified  one  precept  of  the 
moral  law.  "  Think  not,"  said  Christ,  "  that  I  am  come  to 
destroy  the  law  or  the  prophets  ;  I  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but 
to  fulfil.  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  till  heaven  and  earth  pass, 
one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the  law  till  all 
is  fulfilled."  God  does  not  threaten  without  a  fixed  determi- 
nation to  execute. 

3.  The  method  God  has  devised  and  adopted  for  the  justifi- 
cation of  the  ungodly,  gives  us  the  most  aflecting  view  of  His 
hatred  of  sin,  and  His  determination  to  punish  all  who  refuse 
to  accept  the  offer  of  pardon  through  faith  in  His  Son.  "  The 
Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  hath  given  all  things  into  his  hand. 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3.  51 

He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life,  and  he  that 
believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God 
abideth  on  him."     "  Forasmuch  as  ye  know,"  said  the  apostle 
Peter,  "  that  ye  were  not  redeemed  with  corruptible  things,  as 
silver  and  gold,  from  your  vain  conversation,  received  by  tra- 
dition with  your   fathers ;   but  with   the   precious   blood   of 
Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish  and  without  spot."     Had 
not  sin  appeared  to  God  a  great  evil,  the  tendency  of  which,  if 
unchecked  and  counteracted,  must  subvert  and  ruin  His  king- 
dom, He  would  not  have  called  forth  His  dearly  beloved  Son 
from  His  bosom,  and  consented  to  make  him  a  curse  for  guilty 
men  to  effect  their  redemption.     "  He  was  wounded  for  our 
transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities,  the  chastise- 
ment of  our  peace  was  upon  Him,  and  with  His  stripes  we  are 
healed."     God  could  not  manifest  consistency  of  character,  sup- 
port his  authority,  and   appear  glorious  in  holiness,  in  the 
redemption  of  any  of  the  human  race,  without  the  sufferings 
and  death  of  one  sustaining  a  nearer  relation  to  Him  than  any 
of  His  creatures.     This  we  can  all  understand.     No  parent 
will  punish  a  beloved  son  without  sufficient  cause,  much  less, 
if  innocent,  for  the  guilty.     How  can  God  appear  holy  to  the 
angels,  holy  and  unholy  to  the  millions    and  hundreds  of  mil- 
lions of  the  human  race,  or  even  to  ourselves,  should  he  justify 
us  without  full  satisfaction  for  our  sins?      Justice  must  be 
satisfied  or  we  cannot  be  saved.     In  ourselves  there  is  no  help. 
God  has  accepted  the  offer  of  His  beloved  and  only  begotten 
Son  to  be  a  substitute,  and  has  not  spared  Him,  but  has  deliv- 
ered Him  for  our  offences,    and    raised  Him  again  for  our 
justification.      Some,  when  meditating  on  the  justice  and  holi- 
ness of  God,  discover  nothing  amiable  in  his  character,  but 
perceive  feelings  of  opposition  awakened.     But  when  their 


52  Sermon  on  Isaiah  vi.  1-3. 

attention  is  directed  to  the  sufferings  and  death  of  His  Son,  who 
knew  no  sin,  and  who  gave  His  life  to  save  them  from  death, 
they  discover  the  strongest  proofs  of  His  tender  compassion, 
and  earnest  desire  of  their  salvation.  The  language  of  the 
Gospel  is,  to  every  one  of  you,  "  Come,  for  all  things  are 
ready." 

The  fact  of  the  death  of  Christ,  as  well  as  the  fact  of  the 
punishment  of  the  angels  that  sinned,  makes  it  certain  that  all 
unbelievers  who  persevere  in  unbelief  will  perish.  Can  any 
of  you,  my  hearers,  while  contemplating  the  cross  of  Christ, 
indulge  any  hope  that  you  can,  without  faith  in  Him,  escape 
the  punishment  to  which  your  sins  expose  you  ?  Can  you 
believe  that  God  will  not  be  as  good  as  His  word  ?  that  He  will 
spare  you  when  He  did  not  spare  His  only  begotten  Son,  when 
He  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners?  The  holiness  of  God  will 
appear  glorious  in  your  condemnation,  if  not  in  your  salva- 
tion. 

The  time  is  coming  when  holiness  to  the  Lord  will  be  upon 
all  his  works — upon  the  gates  of  that  prison  where  the  wicked 
will  suffer  His  wrath,  as  well  as  on  the  gates  of  heaven.  His 
holiness  will  appear  glorious  in  the  display  of  His  justice  as 
well  as  in  the  display  of  His  mercy.  Be  persuaded  then,  my 
hearers,  to  be  holy  as  God  is  holy.  If  christians,  strive  to  be 
more  holy.  If  unrenewed,  consider  this  :  "  Without  holiness 
no  man  shall  see  the  Lord."     Amen. 


INCOMPREHENSIBILITY  OF  GOD. 


JOB  XI.  7-9. 


"  Canst  thou  by  searching  find  out  God  1  canst  thou  know  the  Almighty 
unto  perfection  1  It  is  as  high  as  heaven,  what  canst  thou  do "?  deeper  than 
hell,  what  canst  thou  know "?  The  measure  thereof  is  longer  than  the  earth 
and  broader  than  the  sea." 


When  we  meditate  on  the  being,  the  attributes  and  the 
works  of  God,  objects  vast,  deeply  interesting  and  glorious 
occupy  our  thoughts,  and  a  scene  awfully  grand  and  sublime 
passes  before  us,  the  utmost  limits  of  which  the  powers  of  the 
most  vigorous  minds  cannot  reach. 

We  may  be  pleased  and  delighted,  when  we  contemplate 
the  most  beautiful  productions  of  art,  or  the  achievements  of 
the  renowned  of  this  world,  which  historians  record,  and  on 
which  poets  and  orators  love  to  dwell ;  but  how  great  is  the 
change  experienced,  when  oUr  attention  is  directed  to  the  mar- 
velous works  and  mighty  acts  of  God  ? 

We  are  so  constituted  that  the  subjects  on  which  we  are  ac- 
customed to  meditate  have  a  transforming  influence.  Hence  we 
find  that  those  who  are  most  uniformly  devout,  are  most  like  God 
and  best  prepared  to  endure  without  repining,  the  trials  through 
which  they  are  called  to  pas?.  Who  can  describe  the  happi- 
ness of  him,  who  forgetful  of  the  cares  and  perplexities,  the 
disappointments  and  troubles  of  life,  is  filled  with  all  the  fulness 
of  God? 

Few  are  aware  how  little  they  know  of  God,  compared  with 
4 


54  Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-0. 

what  may  be  known  of  him.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that 
some  who  have  made  the  greatest  attainments  in  their  knowl- 
edge of  the  laws  of  the  material  world,  have  very  imperfect 
views  of  him  who  is  a  spirit,  and  who  seeketh  such  to  worship 
him  as  worship  him  in  spirit  and-  in  truth.  They  are  still 
more  ignorant  of  him  who  is  the  brightness  of  his  Father's 
glory  and  the  express  image  of  his  person.  The  light  of 
nature,  however  clearly  it  may  shine,  gives  them  no  knowledge 
of  Christianity,  and  no  knowledge  of  a  plurality  of  persons  in 
the  Godhead.  There  is  no  intimation  in  the  law  of  nature, 
or  the  moral  law,  of  the  forgiving  love  of  God.  All  the  knowl- 
edge we  have  of  the  plan  adopted  for  the  redemption  of  men 
is  derived  from  revelation.  The  opinions  and  conduct  of  very 
many  prove  conclusively  that  they  are  ignorant  of  the  charac- 
ter of  him  who  looks  upon  all  sin  with  infinite  abhorrence,  and 
who  is  determined  to  punish  with  everlasting  destruction  every 
impenitent  transgressor.  "The  wicked,  through  the  pride  of 
his  countenance,  will  not  seek  after  God:  God  is  not  in  all  his 
thoughts." 

Though  our  knowledge  of  God  in  the  present  life  is  extremely 
limited,  yet  he  has  furnished  us  with  the  means,  by  which  we 
may  know  all  that  is  necessary  for  us  to  know  in  order  to  our 
salvation.  We  may  rejoice  that  in  him  there  are  inexhausti- 
ble treasures  of  knowledge,  wisdom  and  goodness,  to  which  all 
the  redeemed  have  free  access.  Were  not  God  infinite  in  all 
his  attributes,  we  could  not  understandingly  and  unreservedly 
trust  in  him,  or  worship  him.  We  shall  never,  even  in  the 
future  state,  know  all  that  may  be  known  of  God.  But  the 
revelations  he  will  constantly  make  of  himself  and  of  his  pur- 
poses, will  furnish  holy  beings  with  new  subjects  of  medita- 
tion, suited  to  their  advancement  in  knowledge.    The  treasures 


Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9.  55 

of  knowledge  and  wisdom  in  God  may  be  compared  to  an 
immense  library,  constantly  open,  and  to  which  additions  will 
continue  to  be  made,  as  needed  by  his  saints.  While  in  this 
life  we  are  inexcusable  for  not  endeavoring  to  know  all  that 
may  be  known  of  God.  Surely,  the  more  we  love  him,  the 
more  desirous  we  shall  be  to  increase  our  knowledge  of  his 
character  and  will. 

My  design  in  the  following  discourse  is  to  direct  your  atten- 
tion to  some  particular  views  of  the  incomprehensibility  of  God 
in  connexion  with  what  may  and  ought  to  be  known  of  him. 

1.   The  mode  of  God's  existence  is  incomprehensible. 

The  exercise  of  our  powers,  when  most  active,  is  confined  to 
a  very  narrow  circle.  They  cannot  fathom  the  depths  of 
infinity.  God  is  a  spirit,  and  invisible.  All  our  knowledge  of 
him  is  derived  from  his  word  and  works.  We  know  that 
there  can  be  but  one  infinite  being.  The  word  and  works  of 
God  plainly  declare  his  unity.  If  we  carefully  study  the 
Scriptures,  we  may  without  difficulty  distinguish  the  true  God 
from  all  false  gods,  whether  the  works  of  men's  hands,  or  the 
creatures  of  their  imaginations.  The  more  thoroughly  we 
search  the  Scriptures,  the  more  we  shall  be  disposed  to  adopt 
the  language  of  the  text. 

Though  the  diffusion  of  Christian  knowledge  has  banished 
from  this  land  all  visible  gods  made  by  men's  hands,  yet  the 
unrenewed  heart  is  the  same  in  every  age,  and  disposed  to 
worship  a  god  that  can  be  comprehended,  rather  than  him  who 
is  incomprehensible.  Human  reason  is  made  the  standard  by 
which  many  determine  what  God  ought  to  be  and  do,  and  what 
he  is  and  will  do. 

The  Scriptures,  which  are  a  revelation  from  God,  as  might 
be  expected,  contain  many  things  above  our  reason,  the    rea- 


56  Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9. 

son  of  those  who  have  just  begun  to  be  ;  but  which  cannot  be 
shown  to  be  contrary  to  the  reason  of  him  who  is  pursuing  an 
object,  the  accomplishment  of  which  is  infinitely  distant.  Our 
reason  ought  to  be  exercised  in  ascertaining  what  God  has 
revealed,  believing  it  to  be  important  truths,  whether  we  un- 
derstand it  or  not.  Do  not  little  children  believe  many  things 
said  by  their  parents,  which  they  do  not  understand  ? 

Many  things  respecting  the  mode  of  God's  existence  we  may 
understand,  and  many  things  are  incomprehensible.  We  can 
understand  that  God  has  existed  from  eternity ;  but  who  can 
comprehend  the  eternity  of  His  existence  ?  "  A  thousand  years 
in  His  sight  are  but  as  yesterday  when  it  is  past,  and  as  a 
watch  in  the  night."  We  can  understand  that  God  is  and  must 
be  Omnipresent ;  but  who  can  comprehend  Omnipresence  ? 
The  Omnipresence,  Omniscience,  Infinite  Wisdom,  and  power 
of  God  are  necessary  for  the  upholding,  support,  and  govern- 
ment of  all  things.  But  who  can  comprehend  any  of  these  at- 
tributes ?  We  can  understand  the  declarations  that  inexhaust- 
ible treasures  of  good  are  in  God — that  He  is  a  God  of  truth — 
cannot  deceive  or  be  deceived — that  He  is  infinitely  holy  and 
glorious  ;  but  how  feeble  and  limited  are  our  conceptions  of 
these  attributes  ?  We  can  understand  that  the  infinite  God  is 
our  preserver,  sovereign,  lawgiver,  and  judge,  and  that  He  is 
worthy  of  cur  supreme  love,  and  ought  to  be  worshiped  and 
obeyed  with  the  full  exercise  of  all  our  powers.  But  our  con- 
ceptions of  Him  in  all  these  relations  are  liniited,  and  all  at- 
tempts to  extend  our  thoughts  and  meditations  beyond  the 
bounds  of  revelation  involve  us  in  total  darkness. 

Neither  the  works  of  creation,  nor  the  laws  of  nature 
make  known  to  us  the  forgiving  love  of  God.  It  is  the  law 
of  nature,  written  in  the  hearts  of  all  men,  according  to  the 


Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9.  57 

principles  of  which  the  unrenewed  reason.  This  accounts  for 
the  fact  that  some  who,  proud  of  the  powers  of  their  own 
mind,  and  of  their  attainments  in  physical  science,  neglect  the 
Scriptures,  and  are  unitarians  or  infidels.  The  moral  law  is 
a  transcript  of  the  divine  character,  as  revealed  to  our  first 
parents  before  their  apostasy  ;  but  it  contains  no  intimation  of 
mercy,  and  of  course  no  intimation  of  a  plurality  of  persons  in 
the  deity.  We  know  that  when  any  are  awakened,  their  first 
endeavor  is  to  obtain  justification  and  peace  by  the  deeds  of 
the  moral  law.  They  never  receive  understandingly  and  cor- 
dially the  doctrine  of  the  trinity  till  they  experience  a  work  of 
grace  in  their  hearts.  The  doctrines  peculiar  to  Christianity, 
which  bring  to  our  view  a  plurality  of  persons  in  the  deity, 
must  be  received  on  the  testimony  of  God  himself.  When  man 
was  created,  and  so  long  as  he  continued  innocent,  no  revela- 
tion was  made  to  him  of  the  forgiving  love  of  God,  or  of  a  plu- 
rality of  persons  in  the  Godhead.  Had  he  continued  innocent, 
he  probably  would  never  have  had  any  knowledge  of  the  doc- 
trine of  the  trinity.  A  revelation  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  saves 
from  sin  would  have  rendered  the  penalty  of  the  law  powerless. 
God  did  not  say  to  our  first  parents,  if  you  disobey  my  com- 
mand, you  may  be  forgiven,  for  I  have  provided  for  you  a  Sav- 
iour, who  will  obey  the  law  for  you,  and  suffer  its  penalty. 

After  the  apostasy  of  man,  God  did  make  a  revelation  of 
Himself,  which  He  had  not  made  to  him  before,  and  which 
could  not  have  been  made  to  him  before,  without  encouraging 
him  to  sin.  This  new  revelation  did  not  obscure  any  that  had 
been  previously  made,  but  rather  gave  lustre  and  power  to 
His  law,  which  man  was  required  to  obey  a  s  the  foundation 
of  his  justification. 

The  infinite  and  incomprehensible  God  has  so  revealed  Him- 


58  Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9. 

self  in  accommodation  to  the  weakness  of  our  understanding, 
that  we  are  fully  authorized  to  view  Him  as  existing  in  three 
persons,  having  different  and  distinct  offices  in  the  plan  and 
work  of  redemption,  all  equal  in  power  and  glory,  and  all  one 
in  essence.  As  God  is  incomprehensible,  it  is  unreasonable 
for  us  to  object  to  the  revelations  He  has  made  of  Himself. 
God  the  Father  addresses  His  Son  as  a  distinct  and  Divine 
person,  having  a  distinct  office  to  execute.  "  But  unto  the  Son 
He  saith,  Thy  throne,  O  God,  is  forever  and  ever  ;  a  sceptre 
of  righteousness  is  the  sceptre  of  thy  kingdom.  Thou  hast 
loved  righteousness  and  hated  iniquity  ;  therefore,  God,  even 
thy  God,  hath  anointed  thee  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above 
thy  fellows.  And  thou  Lord  in  the  beginning  hast  laid  the 
foundations  of  the  earth,  and  the  heavens  are  the  work  of  thy 
hands.  And  again,  when  He  bringeth  the  first  begotten  into 
the  world,  he  saith,  and  let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship  Him." 
(Heb.  i.  6-10.)  The  divinity  and  distinct  personality  of  the  Son 
of  God  are  clearly  revealed  in  the  passage  just  given.  The 
distinct  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  revealed  in  the  fol- 
lowing passage :  "  And  when  the  Comforter  is  come,"  said 
Christ, "  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father,  he  shall  tes- 
tify of  me."  The  divinity  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  declared  in  the 
following  passage,  Acts  v.  1-11  :  "  Peter  said,  Ananius,  why 
hath  Satan  filled  thine  heart  to  lie  unto  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  Thou 
hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God."  It  was  the  Holy  Spirit 
that  converted  three  thousand  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Now, 
how  God  can  exist  in  three  persons,  and  be  but  one  in  essence, 
is  beyond  our  comprehension.  But  it  is  only  one  of  many 
things  in  God  we  cannot  comprehend.  It  is  not  necessary  or 
safe  for  us  to  attempt  to  go  beyond  what  God  has  revealed. 
Secret  things  belong  to  Him. 


Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9.  59 

The  law  we  are  now  required  to  obey,  as  the  foundation  of 
our  justification,  is  the  law  of  faith.  This  is  a  transcript  of 
the  character  of  God  as  revealed  in  the  gospel.  This  is  a 
brighter  exhibition  of  the  divine  perfection  than  could  be  made 
by  the  moral  law.  This  we  cannot  understand  and  obey  with- 
out a  knowledge  and  belief  of  the  doctrine  of  the  trinity. 

Now,  Ave  can  without  any  perplexity  separately  contemplate 
the  perfections,  and  appropriate  the  works  of  the  Father,  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  can  understand  that  they 
can  execute  different  offices,  which  none  but  divine  persons 
can  execute.  The  doctrine  of  the  trinity,  which  so  perplexes 
the  learned  unitarian  and  infidel,  is  received  with  delight  by 
the  humble  Christian.  He  can  separately  contemplate  the 
Father,  whose  law  he  has  broken ;  the  Son,  who  by  His  obe- 
dience and  death,  has  become  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteous- 
ness, and  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  whom  he  is  indebted  for  renew- 
ing and  sanctifying  grace.  There  is  a  recognition  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  trinity  in  every  acceptable  prayer  offered  to 
God. 

Curiosity  may  urge  the  proud  man  to  pursue  his  inquiries 
farther  than  the  light  of  revelation  extends.  But,  beyond  this 
limit,  on  what  foundation  can  he  rest,  what  guide  can  he  fol- 
low, of  what  use  can  be  his  reason  or  his  learning  ?  Specula- 
tions here  are  like  the  discordant  theories  of  philosophers  res- 
pecting subjects,  which  the  most  persevering  investigations 
have  not  enabled  them  to  understand.  Happy  is  the  man, 
who  is  satisfied  with  the  revelation  God  has  made,  and 
the  language  of  whose  heart  is.  Lord,  what  wouldst  thou  have 
me  to  do  ?  The  man  who  refuses  to  receive  any  truth  except 
on  the  evidence  of  reason,  denies  the  veracity  of  God.  No 
created  mind  could  ever  have  thought  of  such  a  plan  as  God 


60  Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9. 

has  devised  and  adopted  for  the  redemption  of  men.  Our  be- 
lief of  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  must  depend  on  the  testi- 
mony of  God.  At  a  certain  time  Jesus  answered,  and  said,  "  I 
thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  because  thou 
hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  re- 
vealed them  unto  babes.  Even  so  Father,  for  so  it  seemed 
good  in  thy  sight." 

It  may  here  be  added,  the  right  understanding  of  truths, 
which  have  reference  to  the  things  of  the  Spirit  and  Christian 
experience,  depends  rather  on  the  state  of  the  heart,  than  on 
the  power  of  the  understanding,  however  highly  it  may  be 
cultivated. 

II.  The  existence  of  moral  evil  under  the  government  of  an 
infinitely  holy  God,  is  a  subject  which  must  forever  be  incom- 
prehensible. 

When  God  created  the  angels,  he  knew  that  some  would 
sin,  and  be  ruined.  Should  the  inquiry  be  made,  Why  then  did 
He  create  those  he  knew  would  sin  and  be  ruined  ?  who 
would  be  able  to  give  any  satisfactory  answer  ? 

When  the  angels  were  created,  and  created  in  the  image  of 
God,  and  perfectly  holy,  he  could  but  love  them.  They  sus- 
tained a  nearer  relation  to  Him  than  children  do  to  their  pa- 
rents. They  were  swift  to  obey  His  commands,  and  delight- 
ed to  worship  Him.  Why  did  not  God  prevent  all,  as  well  as 
a  part  of  those  whom  He  loved,  and  who  had  given  proofs  of 
their  obedience  to  his  commands,  from  fcilling,  when  He  per- 
fectly knew  the  consequences  of  sin  ?  Who  will  dare  give  an 
answer?  And  why  did  he  not  provide  for  them,  as  well  as  for 
man,  a  Redeemer  ? 

When  God  created  man,  he  created  him  in  His  own  image, 
with  full  power  to   do  His  will.     He  was  perfectly  holy,  and 


Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9.  61 

for  a  time  delighted  to  worship  his  Creator.      Had  not  the 
tempter  been  permitted  to  visit  the  garden  of  Eden,  man,  proba- 
bly,, would  never  have  fallen.     God  certainly  loved  our  first 
parents  as  His  creatures,  who  were  like  Him,  only  infinitely 
inferior,  so  long  as  they  continued  innocent.      And  he  knew 
what  would  be  the  consequence,  if  Satan  were  permitted  to 
visit  the  habitation  of  man.     Why,  then,  some  may  imagine, 
did  He  not  prevent  the  approach  of  this  subtle  enemy  to  Para- 
dise, and  thus  preserve  the  millions,  and  hundreds  of  millions 
of  the  human  race  from  ruin  ?     How  could  our  Creator  and 
Heavenly  Father  suffer  a  deceiver  and  a  murderer  to  enter 
this  peaceful  world,  while  it  was  the  abode  of  innocence,  holi- 
ness, and  happiness  ?      How  could  He  see  those,  whom  He 
dearly  loved,  destroy  themselves,  and  ruin  the   multitudes  of 
the  human  race,  without  an  exercise  of  his  power  to  prevent 
so  great  evils  ?     How  can  we  reconcile  well  known  facts  with 
the  infinite  goodness  of  God  ?      We  can  only  answer,  that 
God  can  and  does  cause  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  and 
can  and  does  make  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him.     We 
know  that  the  fall  of  man  has  given  God  an  opportunity  to 
make  such  a  revelation  of  Himself,  as  could  not  have  been 
made,  had  man  continued  innocent.      Had  man  never  sinned, 
there  would  have  been  no  revelation  of  Him,  who  saves  from 
sin,  and  who  is  the  brightness  of  His  Father's  glory,  and  the 
express  image  of  His  person.      What  knowledge  could  we 
have  had  of  the  mercy  of  God,  or  of  His  forgiving  love,  had 
man  never  sinned  ?     The  love  which  He  has  manifested  to- 
ward His  enemies,  and  the  vast  provision  He  has  made  for  the 
redemption  of  apostate  men,  give  us  brighter  views  of  His 
perfections  than  we  could  have  had,  if  our  first  parents  had 
continued  innocent. 


62  Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9. 

Some  things  we  can  understand.  It  was  the  will  of  God 
that  the  love  of  our  first  parents  should  be  tried.  Had  they 
successfully  endured  the  trial,  their  love  would  have  appeared 
more  excellent  and  honorable,  than  if  not  tried.  It  is,  we 
know,  the  trial  of  any  virtue  which  discloses  its  excellency 
and  beauty.  How  can  we  have  a  perfect  view  of  the  opera- 
tions of  benevolence,  without  proper  occasions  of  its  exercise  ? 
How  could  we  have  any  adequate  knowledge  of  that  love 
which  is  manifested  toward  enemies,  if  no  enemies  ever  exist- 
ed? It  required  an  exhibition  of  more  intense  love  to  pardon 
and  save  sinners  than  to  justify  the  righteous.  The  praise  of 
the  redeemed  will  express  deeper  feelings  of  love  than  they 
could  have  experienced,  had  they  never  been  justly  exposed 
to  the  wrath  of  God. 

III.  The  method  which  has  been  devised  and  adopted  by  Infi- 
nite Wisdom  and  benevolence  for  the  redemption  of  men,  is  too 
grand,  and  too  extensive  in  its  bearings  and  influence,  to  be 
comprehended  by  any  finite  being.  Angels,  who  have  made 
great  attainments  in  knowledge,  desire  to  look  into  it.  But 
all  those  truths,  which  are  essential  to  our  salvation,  have  been 
made  plain  by  a  variety  of  familiar  illustrations.  In  this  we 
can  but  notice  the  love  and  condescension  of  God.  Such  is 
the  simplicity  of  the  language  of  the  gospel,  that  young  chil- 
dren may,  without  difficulty,  understand  it.  We  may  under- 
stand what  doctrines  are  revealed  and  taught,  though  we  may 
not  be  able  to  comprehend  them.  Who  can  comprehend  the 
mediation  of  the  Son  of  God?  1  Tim.  iii.  10,  "  Without  con- 
troversy," said  the  great  apostle  Paul,  *'  great  is  the  mystery  of 
godliness;  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  justified  in  the  spir- 
it, seen  of  angels,  preached  unto  the  Gentiles,  believed  on  in  the 
world,  received  up  into  glory."    "  All  things,"  said  Christ,  "  are 


Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9.  63 

delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father;  and  no  man  knoweth  the 
Son,  but  the  Father ;  neither  knoweth  any  man  the  Father, 
save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal  Him." 
(Matt.  xi.  27).  Those  whose  knowledge  of  the  character 
and  works  of  Christ  is  most  extensive,  must  admit  that  He  is 
a  person  whom  they  cannot  comprehend.  It  is  enough  for  us 
to  know  that  He  is  an  all-sufficient  Saviour,  approved  of  His 
Father,  and  one  on  whose  power,  wisdom,  and  righteousness 
we  may  safely  depend  for  justification  and  salvation.  The 
more  perfectly  we  know  Him,  the  more  we  shall  love  and 
praise  Him ;  and  the  more  sensible  shall  we  be  that  our  know- 
ledge is  very  circumscribed.  When  contemplating  the  occa- 
sion and  consequences  of  His  sufferings  and  death,  the  light 
of  His  glory  is  sometimes  overpowering.  How  intense  His 
love  !  How  boundless  His  liberality  !  "  Go  ye,"  he  said  to  his 
disciples,  "  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature  ?"  All  of  every  nation,  and  without  any  respect  of 
persons,  who  believe  on  Christ,  experience  that  peace  which 
passeth  understanding,  and  that  joy  which  is  unspeakable,  and 
full  of  glory. 

Though  the  capacities  of  the  Christian  will  forever  increase, 
they  will  be  fully  supplied  from  the  infinite  fullness  there  is  in 
God.  Who  now  can  make  any  objection  to  a  plan  of  redemp- 
tion which  is  suited  to  the  condition  and  wants  of  all  man- 
kind ?  All  who  cordially  approve  it,  and  receive,  without 
money  and  without  price,  the  offers  of  salvation  through  faith 
in  Christ,  are  made  unspeakably  happy  in  this  life,  and  receive 
a  good  title  to  an  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that 
fadeth  not  awa)\  Christianity,  when  cordially  embraced,  has 
never  proved  a  failure.  It  has  always  fulfilled  all  its  prom- 
ises.  Though  we  cannot  comprehend  the  system,  we  may  know 


64  Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9. 

all  that  is  necessary  to  be  known  in  order  to  secure  our  salva- 
tion. 

IV.  Many  facts  under  the  government  of  God,  which  relate 
to  the  present  state  and  future  prospects  of  our  fellow-crea- 
tures, are  above  our  comprehension. 

As  our  eye  glances  over  the  different  parts  of  the  world,  we 
see  by  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  human  race  involved  in 
darkness,  and  ignorant  of  the  volume  of  revelation,  and  of  the 
character  and  works  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  light  ofX^Ihristi- 
anity,  which  has  been  such  a  blessing  to  us  in  this  country, 
shines  upon  but  a  small  portion  of  the  world.  Christians  have 
been  faulty,  and  the  church  has  not  done  all  she  could.  But 
.shall  we  overlook  the  providence  of  God  ?  Shall  we  say  that 
any  given  to  Christ  in  the  covenant  of  redemption  have  been 
lost  ?  Thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  the  most  faithful 
have  suffered  a  martyr's  death.  Were  they  not  willing  to 
meet  dangers,  and  to  do  what  they  could  ?  The  most  faithful 
have  been  most  opposed,  and  most  cruelly  persecuted.  Why 
did  not  God  protect  them,  and  give  greater  success  to  their  la- 
bors, we  know  not  ?  Why  were  the  holy  apostles  so  severely 
tried,  and  some  of  them,  if  not  all,  put  to  death  for  their  fideli- 
ty ?  Had  the  church  been  more  faithful,  would  she  not  have 
been  more  persecuted,  and  would  not  more  of  her  most  faith- 
ful members  have  been  put  to  death  ?  Why  did  4000  years 
roll  away  before  the  Son  of  God  became  incarnate  ?  Why 
was  Abram,  who  lived  among  idolaters,  called  and  made  the 
father  of  a  great  nation,  and  distinguished  by  the  favors  of 
God,  while  all  the  rest  of  the  world  was  suffered  to  remain  in 
ignorance  of  the  truth  ?  The  facts  recorded  we  can  under- 
stand ;  but  we  know  not  how  to  reconcile  them  with  the  infi- 


Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9.  65 

nite  goodness  of  God.     What  can  Christians  do,  if  God  with- 
hold his  spirit  ?     They  cannot  convert  one  soul. 

Since  an  atonement  has  been  made  sufficient  for  all  man- 
kind, and  since  God  can  be  just  and  the  justifier  of  every  one 
that  believeth  in  Jesus,  we  cannot  see  why  the  Spirit  is  not 
poured  out  more  abundantly,  and  why  more  are  not  converted 
and  saved.  It  is  as  easy  for  God  to  convert  a  thousand  as  a 
hundred — in  a  single  day  as  in  any  number  of  years.  Why 
He  leaves  so  many  of  His  creatures,  who  sustain  a  near  rela- 
tion to  Him,  to  perish,  we  know  not. 

God  could  in  any  past  age  have  increased  the  number  and 
resources  of  His  church,  by  the  copious  effusions  of  His  Spirit 
— could  have  disposed  them  to  supply  the  destitute  with  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  and  with  faithful  pastors.  Surely,  the  pro- 
tection of  His  faithful  servants  from  sickness  and  death,  when 
in  the  midst  of  their  labors,  depends  on  His  providence ;  and 
their  success  in  converting  men  depends  on  the  power  of  His 
Spirit. 

Even  where  churches  are  established,  and  where  the  great 
truths  of  Christianity  are  clearly  and  fearlessly  preached, 
many  continue  till  death  without  any  good  hope  of  future  happi- 
ness. It  is  an  occasion  of  grief,  and  of  many  tears  to  the  faith- 
ful preacher,  that  he  is  able  to  accomplish  no  more.  When 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  poured  out  on  a  church  and  congregation. 
Christians  are  always  active.  And  what  mighty  changes  are 
effected  in  a  few  days,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  descends  upon  a 
church.  Should  the  work  continue  to  progress  in  a  town  for 
a  few  years  as  it  does  for  a  few  weeks,  every  individual  would 
be  numbered  with  the  disciples  of  Christ.  Why  revivals  of 
religion  are  not  more  extensive,  more  frequent,  and  more  lasting, 
we  know  not.     Those  excitements,  produced  by  human  efforts 


66  Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9. 

have,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  been  productive  of  more  evil 
than  good.  During  genuine  revivals,  why,  in  the  same  family, 
one  is  converted,  and  another  loft,  we  know  not.  Sometimes 
the  most  gay  and  thoughtless  is  taken,  and  the  most  uniformly 
serious  is  left.  The  greater  the  number  converted,  the  more 
Christ  is  honored. 

Why  one  is  called  to  preach  the  gospel,  while  others  of 
equal  and  even  superior  powers  of  mind  and  undoubted  piety 
are  left,  we  know  not.  How  many  facts  we  notice  for  which 
we  can  give  no  satisfactory  account.  What  can  we  do  but 
bow  in  humble  submission  to  Him,  who  will  give  us  no  ac- 
count of  His  matters  further  than  our  duty  is  concerned  ? 

"  He  in  the  thickest  darkness  dwells — 
Performs  His  work — the  cause  conceals ; 
But  though  His  methods  are  unknown, 
Judgment  and  truth  support  His  throne." 

Why  God  permits  the  most  dangerous  errors  to  prevail,  and 
to  be  defended  by  men  of  talents  and  power,  we  know  not. 
We  have  often  seen  men  distinguished  for  the  powers  of  their 
mind  and  their  learning,  among  the  enemies  of  God.  "  Woe 
unto  the  world,"  said  Christ,  "because  of  offences  !  for  it  must 
needs  be  that  offences  come  ;  but  woe  to  that  man  by  whom 
the  offence  cometh."  But  nothing  so  effectually  rouses  the 
friends  of  the  truth  to  put  forth  all  their  powers  in  its  defence,  as 
the  propagation  of  dangerous  errors  by  men  of  learning.  The 
most  eminent  Christians  have  been  those  who  have  been  most 
severely  tried.  The  exertions  of  men  in  the  different  depart- 
ments of  life  have  corresponded  with  their  necessities.  Great 
men  have  been  produced  by  great  occasions,  and  severe  trials 
of  their  physical,  their  mental,  or  moral  powers.  In  many 
cases  we  may,  when  the  darkness  is  past,  see  how  God  can 


Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9.  67 

bring  good  out  of  evil,  and  cause  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise 
Him.  The  more  we  know  of  the  character  and  works  of  God, 
the  more  we  admire  His  wisdom  and  benevolence,  as  mani- 
fested in  the  administration  of  His  government,  and  the  more 
too,  we  are  convinced  that  we  cannot,  by  searching,  find  Him 
out. 

REFLECTIONS. 

1.  In  reviewing  the  subject  under  consideration,  we  can  but 
feel  that  unbounded  praise  is  due  to  God,  who,  though  infinite 
in  all  his  perfections,  and  unsearchable  in  all  His  ways,  has 
condescended  to  make  the  path  of  life  so  plain  that  way-far- 
ing men,  though  fools,  need  not  err  therein.  Had  God  made 
such  a  revelation  of  His  gracious  purpose,  that  none  but  men 
of  learning  could  understand  it,  the  illiterate  must  of  necessity 
be  excluded  from  Heaven.  If  any,  therefore,  fail  of  obtaining 
Heaven,  it  will  not  be  because  they  cannot  understand  the 
essential  truths  of  Christianity,  but  because  they  refuse  to  per- 
form known  duty.  No  one  acts  more  freely  than  the  sinner, 
who  indulges  himself  in  those  practices  which  darken  his  un- 
derstanding, and  ruin  his  soul.  Can  any  one  utter  the  com- 
plaint, I  would  serve  God,  but  I  know  not  how  ;  I  would  re- 
turn to  Him,  but  I  know  not  the  way  ?  Can  any  one  com- 
plain, I  would  come  to  Christ,  but  He  will  not  receive  me. 
Has  He  not  said,  "  Him  that  cometh  unto  me,  I  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out  ?" 

2.  The  deepest  humility  is  the  result  of  intense  meditation 
on  the  character  and  works  of  Him,  whom  no  man  can  by 
searching  find  out.  What  is  our  knowledge  compared  with 
the  knowledge  of  God ;  what  our  wisdom,  or  power,  or  good- 
ness ;  what  our  greatest,  or  most  benevolent  acts  compared 


68  Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9. 

with  his?  What  small  returns  we  have  made  to  God  for  all 
that  He  has  done  for  us  !  "While  some  are  ever  ready  to  dis- 
cuss subjects  respecting  the  being,  attributes,  or  government 
of  God,  which  are  above  their  comprehension,  they  neglect  to 
perform  duties  clearly  made  known  and  essential  to  their  sal- 
vation. The  humble  Christian  finds  no  insuperable  obstacles 
in  the  plain  path  of  duty.  His  only  complaint  is  of  his  un- 
faithfulness in  his  obedience  to  the  known  will  of  God. 

3,  Our  subject  should  lead  us  to  be  much  in  prayer  to 
God,  on  whom  we  depend  for  success  in  all  our  endeavors  to  do 
good.  In  Him  v.'e  know  are  inexhaustible  treasures.  The 
more  frequently  and  reverently  we  approach  Him,  the  more 
ready  He  is  to  grant  our  request.  He  is  as  ready  to  bestow 
upon  us  great  favors  as  those  of  small  value.  He  has  said, 
"  Open  thy  mouth  wide,  and  I  will  fill  it."  However  deep  our 
sense  of  our  unworthiness,  we  may  ask  for  great  things,  if  our 
dependence  is  on  Christ,  our  surety. 

4.  It  is  evident  from  the  view  which  has  been  taken  of  the 
subject  under  consideration,  that  all  objections  to  the  ways  of 
God  are  unreasonable.  There  was  a  time  when  the  patriarch 
Jacob  thought  all  things  against  him ;  but  afterwards  he 
found  that  the  most  painful  event  was  productive  of  his  great- 
est happiness.  As  we  do  not  know  what  end  is  to  be  answer- 
ed by  any  event  of  Providence,  with  what  propriety  can  we 
find  fault  with  what  we  cannot  understand  ? 

Who  can  determine  how  many  worlds  exist  in  the  bound- 
less regions  of  space,  what  relation  this  world  bears  to  other 
worlds,  and  how  the  administration  of  God's  government  in 
this  province  may  affect  other  provinces  in  His  vast  em- 
pire? When  we  know  what  ends  are  accomplished  by  the 
mysterious  events  of  time,  all  the  ways  of  God  will  appear 


Sermon  on  Job  xi.  7-9.  69 

glorious.  When  we  have  existed  a  thousand,  or  ten  thousand 
years,  we  shall  begin  to  understand  that  vast  system,  which 
embraces  all  worlds,  all  the  measures  of  duration,  and  by 
which  God  is  accomplishing  that  magnificent  and  glorious  ob- 
ject, whose  dazzling  brightness  we  are  not  now  able  to  behold, 
but  whose  splendor  will  fill  the  universe  with  light.  The 
more  clearly  we  see  God  in  every  event,  the  more  ardently  we 
shall  love  Him,  and  the  more  zealous,  bold,  and  persevering 
shall  we  be  in  His  service. 

When  the  glory  of  God  is  unveiled  in  eternity,  the  vast  as- 
sembly of  the  redeemed  will  lift  up  their  voice,  saying,  "Thou 
art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honor,  and  power,  for 
thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are,  and 
were  created."     Amen. 


THE  LOVE  OF  GOD. 

JOHMII.  16. 

"  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.-' 

The  text  is  descriptive  of  the  love  which  God  has  manifested 
toward  lost  men.  The  plan  he  has  devised  and  adopted  for 
their  redemption  cannot  be  understood  without  a  knowledge 
of  that  law  which  demands  of  them  perfect  obedience  as  the 
ground  of  their  justification.  This  is  the  law  of  nature,  which 
is  the  moral  law,  and  the  covenant  of  works,  "It  is  written  in 
the  hearts  of  all  men,  their  conscience  also  bearing  witness, 
and  their  thoughts  the  meanwhile  accusing,  or  else  excusing 
one  another."     (Rom.  ii.  15.) 

This  law  is  founded  on  the  relation  man  sustains  to  God  as 
his  Creator  and  rightful  Sovereign.  "  It  is  holy,  and  the  com- 
mandment holy  and  just  and  good."  And  it  so  exactly  corres- 
ponds with  our  nature  and  constitution,  that  one  sinful  action 
or  even  thought  is  sufficient  to  ruin  the  transgressor  forever. 
The  natural  consequence  of  sin  is  endless  ruin.  The  trans- 
gressor cannot  save  himself.  He  is  the  enemy  of  Him  he  has 
injured.  The  man  who  has  robbed  his  neighbor,  becomes  the 
enemy  of  him  who  was  before  his  friend. 

God  requires  of  man  nothing  more  than  is  perfectly  just, 
nothing  more  than  he  was  fully  able  to  perform  before  his 
apostasy,  and  nothing  which  is  not  connected  with  his  highest 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  71 

happiness.  Strict  justice  is  not  only  the  foundation,  but  the 
measure  of  the  requisitions  of  the  moral  law,  and  of  our  obli- 
gations to  do  the  will  of  God. 

The  moral  law  was  a  transcript  of  the  Divine  character,  as 
revealed  to  man  before  his  apostasy.  He  had  then  power 
to  discern  its  excellency,  and  he  then  loved  and  worshiped 
his  Creator  with  all  his  heart.  Death  was  the  consequence  of 
his  disobedience.  Any  intimation  in  the  Divine  law  of  pardon 
for  transgressors  would  have  rendered  its  sanction  powerless. 
No  one  can  suppose  that  God  said  to  Adam,  "  In  the  day  thou 
eatest  thou  shalt  surely  die  ;  but  if  thou  eat  thereof,  thou  may- 
est  be  forgiven,  for  I  have  provided  a  Saviour  for  transgressors." 
Before  his  apostasy  man  had  no  knowledge  of  Him  who  saves 
from  sin. 

Though  the  Scriptures  teach  us  that  the  world  was  made  by 
the  Son  of  God,  yet  it  does  not  appear  that  our  first  parents, 
while  innocent,  had  any  knowledge  of  more  than  one  person 
in  the  Godhead.  The  works  of  creation  proclaim  the  unity  of 
God,  but  give  us  no  knowledge  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 
The  visible  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  the  power  and  wisdom 
and  goodness  of  God,  but  not  the  glory  of  his  forgiving  mercy. 
The  doctrines  of  Christianity  are  not  discoverable  by  the  light 
of  nature.  They  have  been  made  known  to  us  by  the  light 
of  revelation.  The  volume  of  nature  is  very  imperfectly 
understood  without  the  aid  of  revelation. 

Reasoning  from  analogy,  we  must  suppose  that  when  God 
created  the  angels.  He  demanded  of  them  perfect  obedience  to 
that  law  which  is  founded  on  the  relation  they  sustain  to  Him 
as  their  Creator  and  rightful  Sovereign.  When  created,  they 
were  perfectly  holy,  loved  and  served  God  with  all  their  heart, 
were  swift  to  obey  His  commands,  and  were  objects  of  His 


72  Sermon  on  John  iii.  16. 

delight.  So  long  as  they  continued  obedient  they  were  per- 
fectly happy.  One  transgression  was  sufficient  to  ruin  them 
forever.  No  Saviour  was  provided  for  them.  It  is  written, 
"  and  the  angels  which  kept  not  their  first  estate,  but  left  their 
own  habitation,  He  hath  reserved  in  everlasting  chains,  under 
darkness,  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day."  Though  unut- 
terable misery  was  the  natural  consequenc  eof  sin,  yet  God,  as 
a  righteous  Sovereign,  could  not  but  express  His  abhorrence 
of  it.  He  could  not  sit  an  indifferent  spectator  of  any  act  of 
rebellion,  and  continue  to  be  worshiped  by  holy  beings. 

Now  we  cannot  see  how  God  could  make  any  other  laws  for 
angels  and  men,  than  he  did  make  when  he  created  them. 
They  are  founded  on  the  relations  they  sustained  to  him,  they 
demand  of  them  nothing  unreasonable,  nothing  not  connected 
with  their  highest  happiness.  Though  they  were  holy,  just 
and  good,  they  did  not  exhibit  the  whole  character  of  God,  His 
forgiving  love,  the  brightest  display  of  His  glory.  God  made  to 
man  no  revelation  of  His  forgiving  love  before  his  apostasy. 
No  offer  of  pardon  was  made  to  the  angels  that  sinned,  though 
they  sustained  a  nearer  relation  to  God  than  children  do  to  their 
parents  ;  and  while  innocent,  were  objects  of  His  love.  They 
were  condemned  by  that  law  they  transgressed.  Apostate 
man  was  also  condemned  by  that  law  he  had  violated,  and  was 
as  justly  exposed  to  the  wrath  of  God  as  were  the  angels  that 
sinned,  and  who  are  now  suffering  without  any  hope  of  ever 
being  pardoned. 

Here  there  is  a  bound,  from  which,  if  we  look  back,  we  can 
discover  no  way  of  escape,  for  men  or  angels,  from  deserved 
punishment.  It  was  perfectly  natural  for  angels,  when  man 
sinned,  to  look  for  the  wrath  of  God  to  fall  upon  him.  He 
himself  could  expect  nothing  else  but  the  execution  of  the 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  73 

penalty  of  the  law  he  had  broken.     As  yet,  God  had  made  no 
revelation  of  His  forgiving  love. 

Neither  men  nor  angels  could  know,  without  a  revelation, 
that  God  had  a  Son  ;  much  less  that  He  would  be  willing  to 
become  incarnate,  to  make  Himself  of  no  reputation,  and  take 
the  place  of  the  transgressor,  and  suffer  death  to  save  him 
from  endless  misery.  Heaven  was  filled  with  wonder  when 
the  Son  of  God,  the  brightness  of  His  glory,  was  revealed,  and 
when  it  was  understood  that  God  had  purposes  of  mercy  con- 
cerning lost  men.  It  was,  doubtless,  by  the  influence  of  one 
of  the  fallen  angels,  that  man,  of  an  inferior  order,  was  ruined. 
This  may,  perhaps,  be  one  reason  why  God  determined  to  pro- 
vide a  Saviour  for  lost  men,  rather  than  for  the  angels  that 
sinned,  who  knew,  from  their  bitter  experience,  the  awful  con- 
sequences of  rebellion. 

When  God  made  a  revelation  of  His  forgiving  love  to  men, 
He  did  not  repeal  or  modify  any  portion  of  the  law  He  had 
previously  given  to  them.  "  Do  we  then  make  void  the  law 
through  faith  ?"  said  the  apostle,  "  God  forbid  :  yea,  we  estab- 
lish the  law."  (Rom.  iii.  31.)  The  Gospel  does  not  obscure, 
but  adds  lustre  to  the  perfections  of  God,  before  made  known. 
It  is  abundantly  evident  from  the  Scriptures,  that  the  revela- 
tions of  God  have  been  progressive.  The  law  we  are  now 
required  to  obey,  is  the  law  of  faith.  This  includes  the  moral 
law,  and  is  the  clearest  revelation  of  it.  In  the  law  of  faith 
we  see  mercy  and  truth  met  together,  righteousness  and  peace 
united.  Justice  in  Christ  is  satisfied,  and  the  believer  is  recon- 
ciled to  God.  When  God  made  a  revelation  to  man  of  His 
forgiving  love,  this  was  a  more  glorious  revelation  of  His 
character  than  had  before  been  made  by  that  law,  which  is 
holy  and  just  and  good.     It  is  on  this  account  that  the  Son  of 


74  Sermon  on  John  iii.  16. 

God  is  declared  to  be  the  brightness  of  His  Father's  glory,  and 
the  express  image  of  His  person. 

When  God  punished  the  angels  who  transgressed  His  law, 
He  did  not  delight  in  their  sufferings.  He  still  loved  them  as 
His  creatures,  but  consistency  of  character,  love  of  holiness, 
and  a  regard  to  His  authority  demanded  the  execution  of  His 
law.  As  the  law  they  were  required  to  obey  was  just,  so  their 
punishment  was  just.  A  sense  of  the  justice  of  their  punish- 
ment makes  it  intolerable.  While  they  blaspheme  the  name 
of  God,  they  know  that  they  ought  to  love  Him. 

Can  we  suppose  that  there  was  no  mixture  of  pity  in  the 
feelings  of  God  when  He  punished  those  whom  He  once  loved, 
and  who,  before  their  apostasy,  had  long  probably  been  obedi- 
ent to  His  commands  ?  May  we  not  suppose  that  He  felt 
toward  them  as  pious  parents  feel  toward  their  children,  when, 
from  sense  of  duty  they  punish  ihem  ?  "  Have  I  any  pleasure 
at  all  that  the  wicked  should  die,  saith  the  Lord  God,  and  not 
that  he  should  return  from  his  ways  and  live?"  (Ezekiel 
xviii.  23.) 

The  punishment  of  men  would  have  been  like  that  of 
the  angels  that  sinned,  had  not  God,  of  His  distinguishing 
goodness,  provided  us  a  Saviour.  Why  He  passed  by  the 
angels  that  sinned,  and  "  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  might  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life,"  we  know  not.  It  may  be, 
that  he  chose  to  provide  a  Saviour  for  man,  made  lower  than 
the  angels,  that  His  love  might  appear  more  wonderful  and 
glorious.     Some  particular  views  may  be  interesting. 

The  apostasy  of  man  afforded  God  an  opportunity  to  make 
such  a  revelation  of  Himself,  as  could  not  be  made  by  the 
works  of  creation,  or  by  the  moral  law.     He  could  not  offer 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  75 

pardon  to  those  who  had  never  sinned.  Nor  could  He  make 
known  to  them  one  who  saves  from  sin  and  suffering,  without 
giving  them  some  encouragement  to  sin.  The  whole  charac- 
ter of  a  good  man  could  never  be  known,  were  he  never  to  see 
any  fellow-creature  in  distress. 

TO    NOTICE    PARTICULARS. 

1.  It  was  the  pleasure  of  God  to  pass  by  the  angels  that  sin- 
ned, and  to  manifest  His  forgiving  love  to  fallen  and  lost  men. 
The  transgression  of  our  first  parents  made  them  the  enemies 
of  God,  and  rendered  it  impossible  for  them,  without  a  change 
of  nature,  to  discover  anything  lovely  in  the  Divine  character. 
They  sinned  without  cause.  That  hatred  which  is  without 
cause,  is  the  most  deadly.  Consciousness  of  guilt  did  not  pro- 
duce penitence,  but  only  awakened  in  the  minds  of  our  first 
parents  apprehensions  of  evil,  and  made  them  endeavor  to 
hide  themselves  from  their  offended  Sovereign.  By  reason  of 
their  apostasy  they  became  dead  to  spiritual  life,  honor  and 
true  happiness.  They  were,  however,  the  creatures  of  God, 
and  as  such,  sustained  a  near  relation  to  Him.  He  viewed 
them  with  pity,  and  thought  of  a  method  by  which  He  could 
be  just,  and  save  all  the  truly  penitent. 

It  was  when  man  was  expecting  every  moment  that  the 
wrath  of  an  angry  God  would  fall  on  him,  and  when  holy  and 
unholy  angels  were  looking  for  his  punishment,  that  the  Son 
of  God,  the  second  person  in  the  ever  blessed  Trinity,  and  the 
brightness  of  His  Father's  glory,  was  revealed  as  the  Saviour 
of  lost  men.  This  was  a  revelation  of  wonders,  and  of  Him 
who  is  wonderful.  It  was  a  great  event  in  the  administration 
of  the  Divine  government,  and  a  new  era  in  its  history.  New 
views  of  the  character  and  government  of  God  were  presented 


76  Sermon  on  John  iii.  16. 

to  the  minds  of  all  intelligent  beings.     New  scenes  were  dis- 
closed intensely  interesting  to  angels  and  to  men. 

Though  the  promise  made  to  our  first  parents,  that  the  seed 
of  the  woman  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  was  obscure, 
yet  it  probably  was  at  the  time  so  explained,  that  they  had  a 
proper  knowledge  of  the  object  of  their  faith.  By  faith,  Abel 
offered  a  more  acceptable  sacrifice  than  Cain.  The  light 
which  shone  on  our  first  parents,  compared  with  that  now 
enjoyed,  was  like  the  dim  twilight  of  the  morning  compared 
with  the  clear  light  of  day.  The  institution  of  sacrifices, 
which  pointed  to  that  great  sacrifice,  which  Christ  offered 
when  he  offered  up  Himself,  was  suited  to  make  a  powerful  - 
impression  on  the  minds  of  our  first  parents  and  their  poster- 
ity. It  taught  them  that  they  deserved  death,  and  must  look 
out  of  themselves  to  God  for  salvation.  Those  who  became 
pious  in  the  earliest  ages  of  the  world,  were  as  much  indebted 
to  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  any  are  at  the  present  day 
for  renewing  grace. 

The  plan  God  devised  and  adopted  for  the  redemption  of 
men,  is  equally  honorable  to  Himself  and  safe  for  us.  It  could 
not  have  originated  in  any  creature,  however  exalted.  It  is 
above  the  thoughts  and  beyond  the  comprehension  of  any  cre- 
ated being.  It  cannot  be  understood  without  some  knowledge 
of  the  Trinity — a  doctrine  not  discoverable  by  the  light  of 
nature.  It  is  a  most  glorious  manifestation  of  the  love  which 
God  exercises  toward  this  fallen  race.  God,  the  Father,  is 
the  person,  whose  law  man  has  broken  ;  God,  the  Son,  is  the 
person  who  has  given  Himself  to  redeem  us  ;  God,  the  Holy 
Spirit,  is  the  person  whose  office  it  is  to  renew  the  hearts  of  all 
given  to  Christ  in  the  covenant  of  redemption.  All  the  per- 
sons in  the  Trinity  are  equally  concerned  in  the  salvation  of 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  77 

lost  men.      Holy  angels  are  ministering  spirits  ^to  Christ  and 
to  the  church. 

2.  No  language  is  sufficient  to  describe  the  love  which  God 
has  manifested  toward  this  rebellious  world.  This  the 
inspired  writer  understood,  when  he  said,  "  God  so  loved  the 
woj'ld," — and  without  attempting  any  other  description  than 
the  following — "  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  The  measure  of  the  love  of  God,  is  the  gift  of 
His  Son.  This  is  the  unspeakable  gift  of  God.  This  gift  is 
infinitely  more  valuable  than  any  creature  or  all  creatures, 
and  His  works  greater  than  any  creature  or  all  creatures 
Gould  ever  perform. 

The  language  of  the  text  is  so  plain,  that  way-faring  men, 
though  fools,  need  not  err  therein.  It  is  understood  by  all 
devoted  christians  who  are  not  influenced  by  human  theories. 
The  relation  parents  sustain  to  their  children,  and  children  to 
their  parents,  are  as  well  understood  by  the  illiterate  as  by  the 
learned.  They  know  how  dear  an  only  son  of 'great  promise 
is  to  his  parents.  Much  stronger  is  the  love  which  the  latter 
exercise  toward  the  former,  than  they  can  exercise  toward  ser- 
vants, however  obedient.  Much  greater  is  the  difference,  if 
the  latter  are  disobedient. 

When  servants  are  punished  with  no  greater  severity  than 
they  deserve,  they  seldom  feel  and  acknowledge  that  their 
punishment  is  just.  They  persuade  themselves  that  their  mas- 
ter is  unfeeling,  unnecessarily  cruel  and  tyrannical ;  that  he 
would  not  punish  a  beloved  son,  if  equally  guilty,  with  the 
same  severity.  The  angels  that  sinned,  no  doubt  thought  that 
there  was  no  mixture  of  pity  in  their  punishment,  and  that 
there  was    no   necessity  for   any  such   punishment  as  God 


78  Sermon  on  John  iii.  16. 

inflicted  on  them.  But  when  it  was  revealed  to  them  that 
God  had  a  Son,  only  begotten  and  dearly  beloved,  the  bright- 
ness of  His  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  His  person,  who 
was  willing  to  become  a  substitute  for  lost  men,  and  that  His 
Father  would  not  forgive  any  of  the  human  race  without  the 
obedience  and  death  of  His  dearly  beloved  Son,  they  were 
convinced  that  sin  did  appear  to  God  to  be  a  great  evil,  and 
that  He  did  not  punish  any  because  He  delighted  in  their  suf- 
fering, but  to  manifest  to  the  universe  His  hatred  of  sin,  and 
his  love  of  holiness. 

The  Scriptures  teach  us  that  the  Son  of  God  sustains  the 
same  relation  to  His  Father,  as  the  son  of  an  earthly  parent 
sustains  to  him.  This  is  the  view  of  the  subject  presented  to 
the  mind  of  every  christian,  when  he  listens  to  the  sound  of 
the  Gospel,  or^searches  the  Scriptures.  It  was  His  Son,  dearly 
beloved  and  only  begotten,  whom  God  gave  to  be  the  Saviour 
of  lost  men.  Jt  was  the  Son  of  God  who  magnified  the  Divine 
law,  and  made  it  honorable  by  His  obedience  and  death.  It 
is  the  Son  of  God  who  is  seated  at  the  right  hand  of  His 
Father,  making  intercession  for  all  who  trust  in  Him.  The 
Son  of  God  is  the  Lord,  whom  we  ar*  bound  to  obey,  and  who 
will  be  the  Judge  of  the  world.  No  defect  can  now  be  dis- 
covered in  the  administration  of  the  Divine  government,  even 
in  the  punishment  of  transgressors  of  His  law.  It  is  the  right- 
eousness of  the  Son  of  God  which  is  of  infinite  value,  which  is 
imputed  to  believers  as  the  foundation  of  their  justification. 
They  can  trust  themselves  in  His  hands  for  time  and  for  eter- 
nity. 

Unless  we  admit  the  Divinity  of  the  Son  of  God,  who 
became  the  substitute  for  sinners  by  His  obedience  and  death, 
we  cannot  understand  the  text,  or  feel  satisfied  with  the  foun- 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  79 

dation  of  our  hope.  Unless  we  admit  that  it  was  the  eternal 
SoH'of  God,  who  magnified  the  Divine  law  and  made  it  hon- 
orable by  His  obedience  and  death,  our  views  must  be  very- 
limited  of  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God,  displayed  in  the  redemp- 
tion of  men.  "  He  that  spared  not  His  own  Son,  but  delivered 
Him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  He  not  with  Him  also  freely  give 
us  all  things  ?"     (Rom.  viii.  32.) 

3.  One  of  the  objects  which  the  Son  of  God  had  in  view  in 
assuming  human  nature,  was  to  make  it  manifest  to  the  uni- 
verse that  He  was  the  Saviour  of  lost  men,  and  not  of  the  angels 
that  sinned.  "  For  verily  He  took  not  on  Him  the  nature  of 
angels,  but  He  took  on  Him  the  seed  of  Abraham.  Wherefore 
in  all  things  it  behooved  Him  to  be  made  like  unto  His  breth- 
ren, that  He  might  be  a  merciful  and  faithful  High  Priest,  in 
things  pertaining  to  God,  to  make  reconciliation  for  the  sins 
of  the  people."  (Heb.  ii.  16,  17.)  Had  He  not  been  God  man- 
ifest in  flesh,  how  could  we  have  discovered  any  proof  of  His 
love  of  lost  men,  and  also  of  the  depth  of  His  pity?  His 
human  nature  is  the  medium  through  which  we  know  the  feel- 
ings of  His  heart.  By  His  Divine  nature  He  is  one  with  God, 
and  by  His  human  nature  He  is  one  of  us.  "He  is  the  way, 
the  truth  and  the  life."  We  can  approach  God  and  find 
access  to  Him,  only  through  faith  in  Christ ;  and  all  the  bless- 
ings we  enjoy  come  to  us  through  this  medium.  Had  He 
appeared  in  a  shining  and  glorious  form,  who  could  have 
freely  conversed  with  Him,  or  have  ventured  to  be  one  of  His 
associates  ?  It  was  the  Son  of  God  that  magnified  the  Divine 
law,  by  His  obedience  and  death— that  made  an  atonement  of 
infinite  value  to  effect  the  redemption  of  lost  men.  It  was  the 
Son  of  God  that  said,  "  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even 
unto  death"— that  fell  on  His  face  in  the  garden  of  Gethse- 


80  Sej^mon  on  John  iii.  IG. 

mane,  and  prayed,  saying,  "O  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let 
this  cup  pass  from  me,  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou 
wilt."  In  His  agony,  "  his  sweat  was  as  it  were  great  drops  of 
blood  falling  down  to  the  ground."  It  was  the  Son  of  God, 
whose  Father  hid  His  face  from  Him,  when  He  was  on  the 
cross,  that  He  might  perform  the  work  of  the  second  person  in 
the  Trinity  alone,  and  receive  the  honor  to  which  it  entitled 
Him. 

4.  Thus  it  appears  that  in  the  promotion  of  the  glory  of 
His  holiness,  God  does  not  lay  all  the  burden  on  His  creatures, 
while  He  sits  upon  His  throne,  unmoved.  He  performs  infi- 
nitely the  most  important  part  of  this  work.  God  does  not 
receive  honor  for  that  which  has  cost  him  nothing.  He  is 
not  like  the  commander  of  a  greatj  army,  who  does  nothing 
more  than  direct  his  forces,  andfwho  has  no  pity  for  the 
wounded  and  suffering.  And  He  is  not  like  a  king,  who  sits 
in  his  palace  unmoved,  when  many  of  his  subjects  are  in  dis- 
tress. He  is  like  the  king  who  pitiespiis  suffering  subjects, 
and  can  sympathize  with  them  ;  who  cannot  behold  their 
tears  without  being  aflected.  Or  He  is  like  the  commander 
of  an  army,  who  is  seen  in  the  field  of  battle,  and  who  exposes 
himself  to  the  greatest  danger.  Such  a  person  is  deserving  of 
praise.  Such  an  one  we  admire ;  but  despise  him  who  does 
not  submit  to  any  hardships,  and  does  not  sympathize  with 
the  suffering.  For  what  was  the  Son  of  God  revealed,  if  not 
by  his  mediation,  to  exhibit  brighter  views  of  the  Divine  char- 
acter than  ever  had  before  been  exhibited  ?  Why  should  not 
our  Creator,  and  Lord,  perform  an  important  part  in  that  great 
w©rk,  the  object  of  which  is  His  own  glory,  the  glory  of  His 
holiness?  Much  of  the  opposition  to  the  Divine  character 
arises  from  such  representations  of  it,  as  make  the  impression 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  81 

on  the  minds  of  many,  that  God  does  not  pity  lost  men,  espe- 
cially when  He  punishes  them.  But  a  proper  view  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God  is  suited  to  correct 
the  impression.  Can  God  love  His  creatures,  and  be  unmoved 
when  He  beholds  their  tears,  and  hears  their  cries  ?  And  do 
not  the  depth  of  His  sympathy,  and  the  greatness  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  His  Son  correspond  with  the  strength  of  His  affec- 
tion ?  It  is  written,  in  all  their  afflictions  He  was  afflicted, 
and  the  angel  of  His  presence  saved  them ;  in  His  love,  and 
in  His  pity  He  redeemed  them.  And  He  bare  them  and  car- 
ried them  all  the  days  of  old. 

5.  Man,  the  Scriptures  teach  us,  was  made  in  the  image  of 
God,  and  in  his  most  perfect  state  was  like  Him,  only  infinitely 
inferior.  What  can  we  know  of  God  except  from  the  revela- 
tions He  has  made  of  Himself  in  His  word  and  works  ?  Man 
is  that  work  of  God,  by  which  we  learn  that  God  is  a  person, 
and  by  which  we  may  obtain  just  conceptions  of  His  moral 
perfections.  Now  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  those  who 
have  made  the  greatest  attainments  in  holiness  are  most  like 
God — and  most  susceptible  of  being  affected  by  a  view  of  the 
sufferings  of  their  fellow-creatures,  though  they  do  not  sustain 
so  near  a  relation  to  them  as  they  do  to  God,  their  Creator. 
It  must  be  confessed  that  the  most  pious  have  always  been 
most  ready  to  sympathize  with  the  suffering,  and  to  make 
efforts  for  their  relief  God,  who  is  infinitely  holy,  is  the  most 
compassionate  Being  in  the  universe,  and  the  most  suscepti- 
ble of  being  moved  by  a  view  of  the  sufferings  of  His  crea- 
tures. He  hears  their  cries,  and  beholds  with  tender  compas- 
sion their  tears.  Though  angry  with  the  wicked.  He  is  long 
suffering  toward  them,  not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but 
that  all  should  come  to  repentance.      It  is  God,  who  clothes 


82  Sermon  on  John  iii.  16. 

the  naked,  feeds  the  hungry,  heals  the  sick,  and  saves  all  who 
believe  in  Christ,  whom  He  has  given  for  our  redemption. 

6.  It  seems  to  be  the  opinion  of  some  that  a  state  of  quie- 
tude is  essential  to  the  happiness  of  God.  Can  any  suppose 
that  a  state  of  perfect  quietude  is  essential  to  the  happiness  of 
God — that  He  is  unmoved  by  those  events  which  produce  the 
greatest  distress  among  men  ?  This  is  not  the  Scripture  view 
of  the  character  of  God,  or  of  good  men  most  like  Him. 

May  we  not  suppose  that  the  accomplishment  of  great  and 
glorious  objects  by  appropriate  means  is  essential  to  the  hap- 
piness, as  well  as  to  the  glory  of  God  ?  What  contributes  so 
much  to  the  happiness  and  honor  of  men,  as  success  in  the 
pursuit  of  objects  of  great  value  ?  And  their  happiness  and 
honor  are  often  in  proportion  to  the  difficulties  they  have  over- 
come, and  the  hardships  they  have  endured.  Great  men  and 
great  nations  rejoice,  when,  by  great  labors  and  great  sacri- 
fices, they  have  obtained  objects  of  great  value.  Why  did  the 
British  nation  rejoice  when  they  gained  the  victory  of  1815, 
which  cost  immense  sums  and  the  lives  of  many  distinguished 
officers,  and  thousands  of  brave  men  ?  Why  did  this  nation 
rejoice  when  they  obtained  their  independence,  which  cost 
them  much  blood  and  treasure  ?  Now  who  can  estimate  the 
value  of  the  object  God  is  pursuing  by  the  mediation  of  His 
Son,  and  the  agency  of  His  Spirit  ?  The  means  employed  cor- 
respond with  the  greatness  and  excellency  of  the  object.  Is 
it  any  more  strange  that  God  should  give  His  Son  to  suffer 
and  die,  than  that  He  should  punish  with  everlasting  destruc- 
tion multitudes  of  His  creatures,  who  sustain  a  near  relation 
to  Him  ?  I  see  nothing  in  the  revelations  God  has  made  of 
Himself  inconsistent  with  the  belief  that  the  exercise  of  the 
noblest  feelings  is  essential  to  his  highest  happiness.     The 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  83 

work  which  the  Son  of  God  left  heaven  to  accomplish  must 
appear  to  all  intelligent  beings,  who  understand  it,  to  be  great, 
honorable,  and  glorious.  The  grandeur  of  the  object  of  pur- 
suit, the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  the  plan,  and  the  exalted 
thoughts  of  the  chief  agent,  are  far  above  the  comprehension 
of  any  creature.  The  Redeemer  had  a  perfect  understanding 
of  the  work  before  He  commenced  it.  He  had  power  to  lay 
down  His  life,  and  to  take  it  again.  He  was  perfectly  volun- 
tary in  undertaking  the  work  He  successfully  accomplished. 
The  reward  which  the  Son  of  God  has  received  in  Heaven 
is  for  what  He  has  done.  "  And  I  beheld,"  said  John,  ''  and 
I  heard  the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and 
the  beasts  (or  living  creatures),  and  the  elders,  and  the  number 
of  them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousands  and  thousands  of 
thousands,  saying,  with  a  loud  voice.  Worthy  is  the  Lamb 
that  was  slain,  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing.  And  every  creature 
which  is  in  heaven  and  on  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the 
sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying,  Blessing,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  and  power  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon 
the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever."  (Rev.  v.  1 1- 
13.)     God  will  allow  no  creature  to  rob  Him  of  His  glory. 

REFLECTIONS. 

It  is  evident  from  the  view  which  has  been  taken  of  the  sub- 
ject under  consideration,  that  those  most  like  God,  and  most 
distinguished  for  piety,  are  most  susceptible  of  being  affected 
by  a  view  of  the  unhappy  condition  of  their  fellow-creatures— 
most  willing  to  submit  to  great  hardships,  and  to  make  great 
sacrifices  for  their  salvation.      They  are  most  like  Him  who, 


84  Sermon  on  John  iii.  IG. 

though  rich,  became  poor  for  our  sakes,  and  who  gave  His  life 
to  purchase  our  redemption.  Men  of  deep  pietj'  are  certainly 
men  of  deep  feelings,  and  men  of  deep  feelings  cannot  but 
manifest  them  in  various  ways.  Those  who,  with  cold  insen- 
sibility, contend  for  the  truths,  though  their  arguments  may  be 
strong,  have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ.  As  their  hearts  appear 
to  be  unaffected,  they  make  the  impression  on  the  impenitent 
that  they  do  not  fully  believe  the  doctrines  for  which  they 
earnestl}'  contend,  or  that  they  do  not  think  them  very  im- 
portant. But  if  we  know  from  our  own  experience  the  truths 
for  which  we  contend,  and  express  them  with  a  deep  and  feel- 
ing sense  of  their  importance,  we  do  persuade  men.  It  is  a 
complaint  of  many  that  God  is  represented  as  an  unfeeling 
Sovereign,  who  hates  the  sinner,  and  punishes  him  with  no 
mixture  of  pity.  It  is  true  God  hates  sin,  but  pities  the  sinner, 
whom  He  is  obliged  to  punish. 

2.  From  the  view  which  has  been  taken  of  the  subject  un- 
der consideration,  we  may  conclude  that  there  is  nothing  too 
great  for  God  to  do  for  them  that  love  Him.  That  righteous- 
ness which  is  imputed  to  the  believer  is  the  foundation  not  only 
of  his  hope  of  justification,  but  of  his  hope  of  future  life  and 
glory.  In  our  present  state  we  have  only  an  earnest  and  a 
foretaste  of  the  happiness,  which  all  believers  will  enjoy  be- 
yond the  grave.  The  promises  of  God  are  sure.  In  this  life 
we  have  but  a  very  imperfect  knowledge  of  their  import. 
There  is  no  fiction  in  the  word  of  God.  The  truths  of  Christi- 
anity are  solemn  realities.  God  has  given  the  most  abundant 
proofs  that  His  love  of  the  world  is  real,  sincere,  deep,  and 
holy.  *'  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered 
into  the  heart  of  man  the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for 
them  that  love  Him." 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  85 

3.    Infinitely  great  are  our  obligations   to  God,  who  hath 
done  great  things  for  our  redemption.      God  has  but  one  Son, 
dearly  beloved,  and  onl}^  begotten  ;  the  brightness  of  His  glory 
and  the  express  image  of  His  person.     Him  he  has  given,  not 
only  to  be  a  teacher  and  a  prophet,  but  to  be  offered  a  sacri- 
fice for  us.      Had  the  Son  of  God  been  unwilling  to  suffer  in 
our  stead,  not  one  could  have  been  saved.     His  Father,  though 
he  loved  Him  with  infinite  affection,  did  not  spare  Him  when 
He  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners.      When  he  was  upon  the 
cross,  crowned  with  thorns,  and  treated  with  every  indignity  ; 
when  He  most  needed  some  expression  of  His  Father's  love, 
his  Father  hid  his  face  from  him.      He  could  not  use  the  same 
language  He  had  been  accustomed  to  use — My  Father,  my  Fa- 
ther— but  only,  My  God,  my  God  ;  language  proper  for  a  male- 
factor; "My  God,  my  God,"  He  said,  "why  hast  thou  forsaken 
me?"     Can  we  do  too  much  or  suffer  too  much  to  express  our 
love  of  Him,  who  has  done  and  suffered  so  much  for  us  ?    When 
we  compare  what  we  have  done  for  Him,  with  what  He  has 
done  for  us,  we  must  feel  that  our  services  have  been  very  de- 
ficient, and  that  we  have  abundant  cause  for  deep  humilia- 
tion.     Wonderful  is  the  love  God  has  manifested  for  trans- 
gressors of  His  law.     Wonderful  is  the  love  of  his  Son,  who 
has  magnified  it,  and  made  it  honorable  by  His  obedience  and 
death.     It  is  incomprehensible — infinite.     We  shall  never  in 
our  meditations  be  able  to  reach  its  height,  or  depth,  or  length, 
or  breadth.     But  meditation,  intense  meditation  on  the  love 
of  God,  manifested  in  the  work  of  redemption,  is  suited  to 
move  and  soften  the  feelings  of  our  heart,  and  to  strengthen 
the  cords  which  bind  us  to  Christ. 

4.  From  the  view  we  have  taken  of  the  subject  under  con 
sideration,  it  is  evident  that  God  will  execute  His  law.    Though 


86  Sermon  on  John  iii.  16. 

God  is  infinitely  merciful,  He  is  no  more  merciful  than  He  was 
when  He  punished  the  angels  that  sinned,  for  whom  He  pro- 
vided no  Saviour.  If  God  did  not  spare  His  dearly  beloved 
and  only  begotten  Son,  when  he  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners, 
how  can  any  expect  that  He  will  spare  them,  if  they  perse- 
vere in  impenitence  and  unbelief.  Do  not  imagine  that  God 
is  an  unfeeling  Sovereign,  because  He  has  determined  that 
He  will  maintain  His  authority  by  the  execution  of  His  law. 
Should  He  neglect  to  do  this,  holy  beings  would  cease  to  adore 
and  worship  Him  ;  and  Heaven  itself  would  be  a  place  of 
miserj'.  Though  God  hates  sin  wherever  He  discovers  it,  yet 
He  loves  His  creatures,  who  sustain  a  nearer  relation  to  Him 
than  children  to  their  parents. 

Though  our  Divine  Lord  has  ascended  into  Heaven,  yet  He 
is  present  with  us  by  His  Spirit.  He  is  in  this  house,  and  is 
near  to  every  one  of  you.  He  notices  your  feelings  toward 
Him ;  He  hears  all  your  objections  to  the  truth,  and  all  your 
excuses  for  the  delay  of  repentance.  Could  you  see  Him,  you 
would  see  Him  weeping  over  the  sinner  still  under  sentence 
of  condemnation.  Could  you  hear  Him  speak,  you  would  hear 
Him  say,  "  Come,  for  all  things  are  ready,"  and  "  Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest."  "  Him  that  cometh  unto  me  1  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 
**  There  is  no  other  name  given  under  Heaven  among  men,  by 
which  you  can  be  saved." 

Before  I  close  this  discourse,  let  me  propose  the  question  to 
you.  Now,  after  you  have  heard  so  much  of  the  love  of  God, 
and  the  great  things  He  has  done  for  you,  sinner,  will  you  be- 
come a  disciple  of  His  dearly  beloved  Son  ?  This  is  the  ques- 
tion which  is  presented  to  your  mind  every  Sabbath.     Think 


Sermon  on  John  iii.  16.  87 

of  it,  and  of  its  immense  importance,  and  if  you  can  do  no 
more,  say,  from  your  heart.  Lord,  I  believe,  help  thou  mine 
unbelief.     Amex. 


BRIGHTNESS   OF  HIS  FATHER'S  GLORY. 

HEBREWS  I.  3. 

"  Who  being  the  brightness  of  His  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  His 
person." 

I  SEE  not  how  any  one,  who  rejects  the  doctrine  of  the  trin- 
ity, the  divinity  of  Christ,  the  necessity  of  an  atonement  of 
infinite  value,  or  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  can  un- 
derstand the  text.  It  is  very  imperfectly  understood  by  many 
of  the  professed  friends  of  God.  To  those,  who  have  not  been 
renewed  and  taught  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  however  distinguished 
they  may  be  for  the  powers  of  their  mind  and  their  extensive 
learning,  it  is  one  of  the  most  mysterious  passages  in  the  whole 
volume  of  revelation. 

How,  it  may  be  asked,  can  the  Son  of  God  be  the  brightness 
of  His  Father's  glory  ?  Does  not  this  make  Him  in  some  sense 
superior  to  His  Father  ?  Can  we  discover  excellencies  in  the 
character  of  the  Son,  more  to  be  loved  and  admired  than  any 
we  discover  in  the  character  of  His  Father  ? 

How  can  Christ  crucified,  who  was  unto  the  Jews,  His 
own  people,  a  stumbling-block,  and  unto  the  Greeks  foolish- 
ness, be  the  brightness  of  the  glory  of  the  infinitely  holy  God? 
How  can  that  object,  which  to  the  proud  men  of  the  world 
appears  to  be  the  darkest  and  least  attractive,  be  in  reality 
the  most  beautiful  and  glorious  ?  Such  inquiries  are  doubtless 
suggested  to  the  minds  of  many  who  desire  to  look  into  these 
things ;  and,  because  satisfactory  answers  have  not  been  given, 


Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3.  89 

they  have  embraced  dangerous  and  pernicious  opinions,  and 
rejected  the  most  essential  doctrines  of  Christianity.  To  an- 
swer these  inquiries  is  the  design  of  the  following  discourse. 

1.  Let  us  first  take  a  view  of  the  revelations  God  made  to 
man  when  he  was  created,  and  before  his  apostasy. 

The  works  of  creation  and  Providence  proclaimed,  and  still 
proclaim  the  unity  of  God,  His  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness. 
"  The  heavens,"  said  the  psalmist,  "  declare  the  glory  of  God, 
and  the  firmament  showeth  his  handy  work.  Day  unto  day 
uttereth  speech,  and  night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge." 
Ps.  xix.  1,2.  Great  and  marvelous  are  the  works  of  God, 
sought  out  of  all  them  that  have  pleasure  therein. 

Man  was  created  in  the  image  of  God,  in  righteousness  and 
true  holiness.  He  was  like  God,  only  infinitely  inferior.  He 
was  made  but  little  lower  than  the  angels,  and  was  capable 
of  worshiping  God  with  an  understanding  heart.  He  had 
power  to  discover  and  to  admire  the  moral  excellency  of  the 
divine  character.  He  could  discover  unity  of  design  not  only 
in  the  creation,  but  in  the  government  of  the  world  ;  in  the 
works  of  creation  and  providence  he  could  discover  innumera- 
ble proofs  of  the  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness  of  his  Creator. 

The  relation  he  sustained  to  God  as  his  creator,  benefactor, 
and  rightful  sovereign,  was  the  foundation  of  his  obligation  to 
love  and  serve  Him  with  all  his  heart.  God,  as  a  righteous 
sovereign,  could  require  nothing  less  of  him  than  perfect  obe- 
dience to  all  his  commands.  The  moral  law,  which  is  holy, 
and  just,  and  good,  was  written  upon  his  heart,  and  is  now 
written  upon  the  hearts  of  mankind.  The  understanding  and 
conscience  of  man,  when  innocent,  were  sufficient  to  teach 
him  his  duty  of  perfect  obedience. 

Nothing  was  required  of  him  which  he  was  not  able  to  per- 


90  Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3. 

form,  and  which  was  not  connected  with  his  highest  happi- 
ness. The  moral  law,  strict  as  it  is,  only  pointed  out  the  way 
by  which  he  might  avoid  what  would  injure  him,  and  secure 
for  himself  the  greatest  good.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  shortest  and 
safest  path  to  life  and  glory. 

Now,  we  never  see  in  any  law  an  intimation  of  the  pardon 
of  transgressors.  The  sanction  of  a  law  is  its  penalty.  The 
obedient  may  claim  protection,  and  every  good  government  is 
bound  to  give  it.  God  said  to  Adam,  "  Of  every  tree  of  the 
garden  thou  mayest  freely  eat,  but  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it,  for  in  the  day  thou  eatest 
thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die."  (Gen.  ii.  16,  17.)  At  a  much 
later  period  God  said — "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth 
not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them." 
(Deut.  xxvii.  26.) 

Had  Adam  continued  innocent,  he  could  not  have  discov- 
ered any  thing  in  the  works  of  creation  and  providence,  or  in 
the  moral  law,  to  suggest  in  his  mind  the  idea  of  a  plurality 
of  persons  in  the  Godhead.  He  discovered  abundant  proofs  of 
the  unity  of  God,  and  of  his  personality.  He  could  but  feel  his 
dependence  on  God  and  his  accountability. 

How  could  he  know  without  a  revelation  that  God  had  a 
Son  ?  God  would  not  make  a  revelation  of  His  Son,  who 
saves  from  sin,  before  man  had  sinned.  Our  first  parents, 
while  innocent,  had  knowledge  of  but  one  person  in  the  God- 
head. No  one  can  suppose  that  God  gave  any  intimation  to 
Adam,  while  innocent,  that  if  disobedient,  he  might  hope  for 
pardon. 

Now  the  moral  law,  which  contains  no  intimation  of  the 
forgiveness  of  transgressors,  is  a  transcript  of  the  divine  char- 
a  cter,  as  revealed  to  man  before  his  apostasy.     Perfect  obedi- 


Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3.  91 

ence  was  demanded  as  the  only  ground  of  justification.  Jus- 
tice was  the  measure  of  God's  claims  on  man,  and  man's 
obligation  to  Him. 

2.  In  the  exercise  of  forgiving  love,  a  regard  to  His  own 
glory  as  a  righteous  sovereign,  made  it  necessary  for  God  to 
exhibit  His  justice  as  clearly  as  in  the  punishment  of  the  an- 
gels that  sinned.  Without  a  regard  to  consistency  of  charac- 
ter, how  could  God  support  His  authority,  and  claim  the  obe- 
dience, praise,  and  adoration  of  intelligent  moral  subjects? 
God  mtist  manifest  His  hatred  of  sin  as  well  when  he  pardons 
the  guilty,  as  when  he  punishes  any  of  them.  To  punish  the 
angels  that  sinned,  and  to  pardon  guilty  men  without  an  ade- 
quate atonement,  would  destroy  all  respect  for  the  character 
and  government  of  God. 

Here  we  may  pause,  and  notice  the  bound  in  the  revelations 
God  made  of  Himself  before  the  fall  of  man.  As  yet  God  had 
given  no  intimation  of  His  forgiving  love.  His  whole  char- 
acter was  not  revealed.  His  brightest  perfections  were  un- 
known. His  mercy  was  not  revealed  till  there  was  an  occa- 
sion for  its  exercise.  His  holiness,  justice,  truth,  and  goodness 
were  known  to  our  first  parents  in  the  garden  of  Eden.  Now 
we  may  respect  a  man  who  is  strictly  just,  but  we  love  and 
respect  one  who  is  not  only  just,  but  compassionate  and  for- 
giving. A  faithful  sovereign  must  not  only  be  just,  but  must 
require  his  subjects  to  be  just.  God,  as  a  holy  and  righteous 
sovereign,  was  obliged  to  exact  perfect  obedience  of  all  His 
subjects.     He  could  not  otherwise  maintain  His  authority. 

3.  The  apostasy  afforded  God  an  opportunity  for  such  a 
revelation  of  His  character  as  had  never  before  been  made. 
The  fall  of  man  extinguished  that  light,  by  which  he  had  be- 
fore been  able  to  discover  the  glory  of  God  in  His  law  and  in 


92  Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3. 

His  works.  The  light  within  him  became  darkness.  As  he 
had  no  knowledge  of  but  one  person  in  the  Godhead,  and  that 
person  terrible  in  justice,  what  could  he  expect  but  deserved 
punishment.  His  conscience  condemned  him,  and  filled  his 
mind  with  the  most  distressing  apprehensions  of  evil,  "Who 
can  form  any  conception  of  the  gloom  and  darkness  of  that 
day  when  man  partook  of  the  forbidden  fruit  ? 

When  God  created  man  in  His  own  image,  and  made  him 
lord  of  this  lower  world,  holy  angels  were,  no  doubt,  delighted 
to  unite  with  this  new  order  of  intelligent  beings  in  the  wor- 
ship of  God.  "  The  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  all  the 
sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy."  A  new  world  was  made  known 
to  them,  from  visits  to  which  they  anticipated  much  satisfac- 
tion. How  greatly  must  they  have  been  shocked  when  the 
sad  tidings  of  man's  apostasy  reached  them  !  They  looked 
for  his  immediate  punishment,  and  perhaps  for  the  destruction 
of  the  world  in  which  he  had  been  placed.  Apostate  man ! 
though  condemned  by  his  own  conscience,  had  no  desire  to 
return  to  God  by  repentance.  He  even  hated  him,  whon» 
without  cause  he  had  injured.  That  hatred  that  is  without 
cause  is  the  most  deadly.  He  could  no  longer  discover  any 
thing  lovely  in  the  character  of  God,  whom  by  his  disobedi- 
ence he  had  made  his  enemy. 

4.  Now  let  us  contemplate  the  revelations  God  made  of  him- 
self and  of  his  gracious  purposes  after  the  fall  of  man,  which 
had  not  been  made  to  our  first  parents  when  innocent.  When 
holy  and  unholy  angels  were  looking  for  the  wrath  of  God  to 
fall  upon  apostate  man,  and  when  he,  self-condemned,  was 
endeavoring  to  hide  himself  from  his  injured  and  oflended 
Creator,  a  light,  brighter  than  any  before  seen  in  heaven  or  on 
earth,  burst  from  the  throne  of  the  Most  High.     This  was  the 


Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3.  93 

light  of  the  glory  of  His  forgiving  love.  This  was  a  new  rev- 
elation of  the  purposes  of  God.  It  was  never  before  known 
that  God  could  appear  to  be  righteous,  and  forgive  any  trans- 
gressor. It  was  never  before  known  that  God  had  a  Son  co- 
essential  and  co-eternal  with  Himself,  and  that  He  could  reveal 
Himself  as  existing  in  three  persons— equal  in  power  and 
glory.  The  revelation  God  has  made  of  His  love,  is  not  a 
revelation  of  any  change  in  Himself,  but  only  a  revelation  of 
perfections  never  before  known.  The  compassion  of  a  man  is 
not  known  till  he  has  some  occasion  for  its  exercise.  God  has 
from  eternity  been  as  merciful  as  He  is  now.  There  has 
never  been  any  real  change  in  His  character.  He  is  constant- 
ly revealing  Himself  to  His  church  by  His  providence  and  by 
His  Spirit.  No  two  periods  of  the  church  are  exactly  alike. 
Though  the  character  of  true  Christians  may  be  alike  in  every 
thing  essential,  yet  they  may  exhibit  some  shades  of  difference. 

Why  God  passed  by  the  angels  that  sinned,  and  provided  a 
Saviour  for  lost  man  we  know  not.  The  angels  that  fell 
sinned  against  greater  light  than  man  enjoyed  when  innocent, 
and  were  a  superior  order  of  beings.  The  redemption  of  fall- 
en man,  made  lower  than  the  angels,  more  gloriously  displays, 
than  the  redemption  of  fallen  angels,  the  wonderful  conde- 
scension and  grace  of  God. 

When  God  made  a  revelation  of  His  forgiving  love,  a  new 
chapter  in  the  volume  of  His  revelations,  containing  wonder- 
ful things,  was  given  to  be  read  by  all  intelligent  beings. 
Holy  angels  desired  earnestly  to  look  into  these  things.  In 
this  chapter  we  find  recorded  by  God  Himself — that  He  has 
a  Son,  who  is  mediator  between  guilty  man  and  their  offended 
Sovereign — that  He  has  taken  the  place  of  sinners — has  been 
approved  by  His  Father,  and  has  wrought  out  a  righteous- 


94  Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3. 

ness,  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the  broken  law  for 
all  who  trust  in  Him. 

How  the  Son  of  God  can  be  a  distinct  person  and  not  a  dis- 
tinct being,  no  one  can  explain  the  mystery.  "  All  things," 
said  our  Lord,  "  are  delivered  unto  Me  of  my  Father,  neither 
knoweth  any  man  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom- 
soever the  Son  will  reveal  Him."  (Matt.  xi.  27.)  We  ought  to 
be  satisfied  with  the  declarations  and  testimony  of  God  who 
cannot  be  deceived,  and  who  will  not  deceive  us.  If  we  adopt 
the  language  of  Scripture,  we  are  safe. 

The  humble  christian,  whose  education  is  limited,  experien- 
ces no  perplexity  in  addressing  the  Father,  whose  law  he  has 
transgressed,  the  Son,  who  has  made  an  atonement  for  him, 
and  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  has  given  him  a  new  heart.  In 
every  prayer  the  christian  addresses  the  three  persons  in  the 
Godhead,  and  3-et  understands  that  he  is  worshiping  but  one 
God. 

Without  contemplating  God  as  existing  in  three  persons,  we 
can  have  no  consistent  view  of  the  plan  of  salvation.  Without 
believing  each  person  to  be  Divine,  how  can  we  place  unlim- 
ited confidence  in  them  ?  The  union  of  the  three  equal  per- 
sons in  the  Godhead,  is  a  firm  foundation,  on  which  rests  the 
believer's  hope  of  future  happiness  and  glor}-. 

5.  In  Christ  crucified  we  have  the  clearest  views  of  the  jus- 
tice, the  truth  and  the  mercy  of  God.  They  may  be  compared 
to  the  sun's  rays,  which,  when  collected  and  brought  to  a 
focus  by  a  convex  mirror,  produce  intense  heat  and  dazzling 
brightness.  In  this  sense,  CJirist  crucified  is  the  brighlncss  of 
His  Father'' s glory,  and  the  express  image  of  Hisperson.  It  is  this 
view  of  Christ  crucified,  which  is  so  painful  to  the  unrenewed, 
and  which  has  been  most  successful  in  the  conversion  of  sin- 


Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3.  95 

ners.  It  is  this  view,  likewise,  which  moves  the  best  feelings 
of  the  believer,  and  which  kindles  his  love  to  a  flame.  "  In 
Christ,  mercy  and  truth  are  met  together,  righteousness  and 
peace  have  kissed  each  other."     (Ps.  Ixxxv.  10.) 

The  holiness  of  God  does  not  appear  to  be  a  distinct  attri- 
bute. It  extends  to  the  whole  character  of  God,  His  purposes. 
His  law,  and  the  administration  of  His  government.  It 
makes  all  things  subservient  to  His  glory.  And  the  glory  of 
His  holiness  is  His  ultimate  end,  the  accomplishment  of  which 
must  be  infinitely  distant. 

The  manifestation  of  strict  justice  is  essential  to  the  support 
of  the  government  of  God,  who  must  be  viewed  as  a  Sove- 
reign, acting  in  view  of  all  His  subjects.  It  seems  not  to  be 
understood  by  many,  that  God,  as  a  faithful  Sovereign,  must 
demand  perfect  obedience  of  all  His  subjects,  and  must,  to  sat- 
isfy justice,  and  to  be  respected  by  the  obedient,  punish  every 
transgressor.  Do  not  we  most  respect  that  government  which 
ajETords  the  most  perfect  protection  to  the  obedient,  and  which 
with  impartiality  punishes  every  transgressor  ?  Is  it  not 
admitted  that  fewer  crimes  are  known  under  such  a  govern- 
ment, than  under  a  lax  administration  ?  Let  it  not  be  forgot- 
ten, that  in  order  to  be  loved,  adored  and  worshiped,  God 
must  manifest,  in  view  of  all  His  subjects,  consistency  of  char- 
acter. We  see  in  the  death  of  the  Son  of  God,  how  much  His 
Father  regarded  strict  justice  in  the  administration  of  His  gov- 
ernment. When  the  Son  of  God  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners, 
as  their  substitute,  His  Father  did  not  spare  Him.  He  with- 
drew His  protecting  hand  from  Him,  suffered  Him  to  be 
betrayed,  condemned  and  led  away  to  the  place  of  execution. 
When  in  agony  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  He  prayed,  if 
possible,  that  the  cup  might  pass  from  Him ;  His  Father  did 


96  Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3. 

not  grant  His  request.     His  disciples  forsook  Him  when  the 
powers  of  darkness  were  suffered  to  prevail  against  Him. 
When  nailed  to  the  cross,  crowned  with  thorns,  and  reviled  by 
His  enemies,  His  Father  hid  His  face  from  Him.     Great  was 
the  triumph  of  the  justice  and  truth  of  God,  when  His  beloved 
Son,  in  the  room  of  His  people,  suffered  the  accursed  death 
of  the  cross.     The  claims  of  the 'Divine  law  are  now  freely 
satisfied,  and  the  truth  of  God  appears  in  the  justification  of 
all  who  believe  in  Christ.     It  was  necessary  that  the  Divine 
law    should    be  executed    on    the    transgressor,    or    on     an 
approved  substitute.     The  death  of  Christ  was  a  great  event, 
more  glorious  in  its  consequences  than  the  creation  of  the 
world — the  earth  shook,  the  rocks  were  rent,  the  graves  were 
opened,  all  heaven  was  filled  with  praise  of  God,  and  of  His 
beloved  Son.     The  wicked  triumphed,  but  their  triumph  was 
short.     They  soon  found  that  they  were  defeated. 
V  The  mercy  of  God  toward  transgressors  of  His  law,  glori- 
ously appears  in  the  death  of  His  Son.     What  stronger  proof 
could  He  give  of  His  love  of  the  human  race,  and  His  readi- 
ness to  pardon  and  save  them  in  the  only  way  in  which  he  can 
consistently  do  it.     We  ought  not  to  desire  Him  to  sacrifice 
His  authority,  and  to  involve  His  whole  kingdom  in  perplex- 
ity and  confusion,  by  saving  any  in  their  sins.      And  no  one 
can  feel  satisfied  with  the  foundation  of  his  hope,  unless  he 
can  see  how  in  his  justification  the  demands  of  the  Divine  law 
are  fully  satisfied,   and  how  the  truth  of  God  can   clearly 
appear.     The  intelligent  christian  admires  the  plan  God  has 
devised  and  adopted  for  His  redemption.     The  more  he  medi- 
tates upon  it,  the  more  clearly  he  sees  that  it  is  the  result  of 
infinite  wisdom  and  benevolence. 

Now,  when  we  consider  the  dignity  of  the  Son  of  God — His 


Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3.  97 

near  relation  to  His  Father,  the  excellency  of  His  character, 
His  readiness  to  offer  Himself  a  sacrifice,  to  honor  that  holy 
law  man  had  broken,  that  He  might  save  the  penitent,  how 
terrible  must  be  the  justice  of  His  Father,  who  did  not  spare 
Him  when  He  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners,  and  how  dreadful 
must  be  the  punishment  of  those,  who  have  not  only  broken  the 
law  in  innumerable  instances,  but  have  made  light  of  the  offers 
of  mercy  through  faith  in  Christ?  Though  the  mercy  of  God, 
gloriously  appears  in  the  plan  adopted  for  our  redemption, 
yet  we  find  it  united  with  justice  and  truth.  They  are  not 
obscured,  but  are  made  to  appear  more  glorious,  and  more  wor- 
thy of  our  love  by  the  manifestation  of  the  mercy  of  God. 

Because  God  is  merciful,  many,  solely  on  this  ground,  hope 
to  be  saved.  They  overlook  the  justice  and  truth  of  God, 
which  clearly  appeared  in  the  crucifixion  of  His  beloved  Son. 
They  do  not  consider  that  they  must  have  fellowship  with 
Christ  in  His  sufferings — must  feel  the  condemning  sentence 
of  the  law  in  themselves,  must  see  the  justice  and  truth  of  God 
in  their  condemnation,  must  be  convinced  that  they  must  per- 
ish, unless  they  cordially  accept  the  substitute  God  has  provi- 
ded for  them.  Those  who  cannot  see  how  God  can  be  just  in 
their  condemnation  and  punishment,  and  who  cannot  bear  to 
hear  the  whole  truth,  have  no  good  hope  of  salvation.  The 
most  painful  truths  are  most  successful. 

When  it  is  said  that  the  Son  of  God  is  the  brightness  of  His 
Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  His  person,  the  word 
person,  in  this  connexion,  is  not  to  be  understood  as  applicable 
only  to  the  first  person,  in  distinction  from  the  other  persons 
in  the  ever  blessed  Trinity,  but  as  including  the  whole  God- 
head as  revealed  in  the  plan  of  redemption. 


98  Sermon,  on  Hebrews  i.  3. 


APPLICATION. 


1.  It  is  manifest  from  the  fact  of  the  death  of  Christ,  when 
He  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners,  that  God  is  determined  to 
execute  His  law.  Were  it  not  necessary,  He  would  not  have 
permitted  Him  to  be  crucified.  God  could  not  appear  right- 
eous to  all  the  subjects  of  His  vast  kingdom,  should  He  pardon 
and  justify  any  of  the  human  race  without  the  obedience  and 
death  of  an  approved  substitute.  The  righteousness  of  Christ, 
being  God  as  well  as  man,  is  of  infinite  value,  and  sufficient 
for  the  whole  human  race,  if  disposed  to  trust  in  Him.  He 
felt,  when  in  agony  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  that  it  was 
impossible  for  His  Father  to  save  any  of  the  human  race  with- 
out His  death.  "  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  unto 
death ;"  He  said  to  those  with  Him,  "  tarry  ye  here  and  watch. 
And  He  went  forward  a  little,  and  fell  on  the  ground  and 
prayed,  if  it  were  possible  the  hour  might  pass  from  Him." 
(Mark  xiii.  34,  35.)  Had  it  been  possible.  His  Father  would 
have  accepted  His  offer  as  He  did  that  of  Abraham,  when  he 
was  prepared  to  sacrifice  His  beloved  son  Isaac.  God  will 
most  assuredly  execute  His  law  upon  all  who  do  not  take 
refuge  in  Christ.  Great  must  be  their  guilt  who  have  the  Gos- 
pel, and  reject  the  offer  of  mercy. 

It  will  be  more  tolerable  in  the  day  of  Judgment  for  the  hea- 
then, who  never  heard  of  Christ,  or  of  any  way  of  salvation, 
than  for  those  who  have  the  Scriptures  in  their  own  language, 
and  preachers  sent  to  them  to  persuade  them  to  trust  in  Him 
who  saves  from  sin,  and  yet  who  persevere  in  unbelief.  What 
would  be  your  feelings  should  you  hear  of  a  family  in  great 
distress,  and  should  you  make  very  liberal  provisions  for  their 
relief,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  should  you  perform  a  very  per- 


Sermon  on  Hebre  ws  i.  3.  99 

ilous  journey  to  reach  their  abode — what,  I  say,  would  be  your 
feelings,  should  they,  after  being  acquainted  with  your  benev- 
olent errand,  reject  your  offer  and  treat  you  with  contempt  ? 
Would  you  not  say,  "  Let  them  suffer — they  deserve  to  suffer  ?" 
2.  Those  who  have  no  knowledge  of  God,  except  what  they 
derive  from  His  works  of  creation  and  providence,  may  be 
learned  astronomers,  geologists,  chemists  and  philosophers,  but 
have  no  conception  of  the  brightest  perfections  of  the  Divine 
character.     They  may  be  pleased  with  well  written  discourses 
on  the  attributes  of  God  as  discoverable  from  the  light  of 
nature,  and  may  also  be  pleased  with  discourses  on  the  pre- 
cepts  of  the   moral   law.       But   they   never   wish    to   hear 
preached  the  doctrine  of  the  cross.     They  do  not  search  the 
Scriptures,  and  do  not  feel  their  need  of  the  volume  of  revela- 
tion.    With  the  holy  Scripture  at  their  command,  they  choose 
to  follow  only  the  dim  light  of  nature,  which  gives  them  no 
knowledge  of  the  way  of  salvation  through  faith  in  a  crucified 
Redeemer.     They  shut  their  eyes  to  the  light  which  directs  the 
believer  on  his  way  to  glory. 

3.  From  the  view  which  has  been  taken  of  the  subject 
under  consideration,  we  see  why  the  preaching  of  Paul,  and  of 
all  others  who  were  determined  to  know  nothing  but  Christ 
and  Him  crucified,  was,  and  ever  has  been  so  successful,  and 
so  much  opposed  by  many,  and  many  of  the  learned  and 
wealthy.  The  doctrines  of  the  cross  not  only  give  us  the 
clearest  and  brightest  views  of  the  Divine  character,  but  give 
the  most  painful  and  mortifying  views  of  the  depravity  of  the 
human  heart.  No  one  can  understandingly  receive  the  doc- 
trines of  the  cross,  without  confessing  that  he  is  justly  con- 
demned by  the  Divine  law,  and  justly  exposed  to  everlasting 
death.     It  is  not  difficult  to  come  to  this  conclusion.     If  it  was 


100  Sermon  on  Hebrews  i.  3. 

necessary  for  the  Son  of  God  to  die  in  our  room  that  we  might 
have  the  offer  of  pardon,  then  we  deserve  death.  But  who, 
unless  the  subject  of  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
will  confess  that  he  deserves  death.  This  he  must  under- 
stand and  confess  if  he  would  receive  Christ  as  his  Sa- 
viour. "  We  preach  Christ  crucified,"  said  Paul  to  the  Cor- 
inthians, "unto  the  Jews  a  stumbling  block,  and  unto  the 
Greeks  foolishness  ;  but  unto  them  which  are  called,  both 
Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of 
God."  (1  Cor.  i.  23,  24.)  This  great  apostle  knew  what 
means  were  best  suited  to  affect  his  hearers,  and  what  God 
was  most  disposed  to  bless.  No  one  of  the  apostles  accom- 
plished so  much  for  his  Redeemer,  and  no  one  was  more  per- 
secuted. 

Looking  at  Christ  crucified,  we  see  how  God  regards  His 
law,  how  He  views  transgressions  of  it,  how  much  He  loves 
the  world  and  how  much  He  has  done  for  our  redemption. 
If  we  admit  that  the  atonement  is  of  infinite  value,  then  God 
must  view  sin  with  infinite  abhorrence,  and  how  can  He 
express  His  infinite  abhorrence  of  sin  except  by  executing  His 
law  on  the  transgressor  or  his  substitute?  When  any  indulge 
hard  thoughts  of  God,  who  threatens  with  everlasting  destruc- 
tion the  transgressor  of  His  law,  let  them  look  at  Christ  cru- 
cified, and  all  their  objections  will  be  swept  away. 

To  conclude.  Ample  provision,  sinner,  has  been  made  for 
your  redemption.  The  offer,  without  money  and  without  price, 
is  now  made  of  eternal  life.  Will  you  not  receive  it  as  a 
gift  ?  Are  you  unwilling  to  receive  it  because  it  is  a  gift,  and 
because  you  must  be  wholly  indebted  to  the  grace  of  God  for 
the  hope  of  salvation?  Oh,  be  persuaded  to  confess  j'our  sins 
and  your  poverty,  and  to  accept  the  offer  freely  made  while 


Sermon  on  Hebrews  \.  3.  lOi 

you  may.     The  present  opportunity  will  soon  be  gone  for- 
ever. 

And  you  who  have  a  hope  that  you  are  christians,  think 
often  of  the  great  things  which  have  been  done  for  you,  and 
th^  bright  prospects  before  you.  May  a  sense  of  your  obliga- 
tions to-^  your**Saviour  make  you  feel  that  you  cannot  do  too 
much  to  advance  His  kingdom.     Amen. 


.7 


TRAVAIL  OF  THE  SOUL  OF 


'i^Ut^ 


ISAIAH  Llll.  11. 

"  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  be  satisfied." 

When  that  great  work  is  finished  in  which  all  holy  beings 
are  interested,  the  Son  of  God,  who  is  performing  the  most 
difficult  and  important  part,  will  look  back  upon  the  world, 
recollecting  all  his  labors  and  sufferings,  and,  having  perfectly 
accomplished  all  his  purposes,  will  be  satisfied.  The  objects 
obtained  will  correspond  with  the  plan  adopted  and  the  means 
employed.  God  will  be  glorified,  and  many  will  be  saved,  who 
will  be  made  partakers  of  the  joy  and  glory  of  their  Redeemer. 
*'  The  Spirit  itself,"  said  the  Apostle,  "  beareth  witness  with 
our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God ;  and  if  children 
then  heirs,  heirs  of  God  and  joint-heirs  with  Christ ;  if  so  be 
that  we  suffer  with  Him  that  we  may  be  glorified  together." 
(Rom.  viii.  16-18.)  In  heaven  Christ  will  appear  to  be  infi- 
nitely glorious.  To  behold  His  glory  will  make  his  disciples 
unspeakably  happy.  The  plan  devised  and  adopted  for  the 
redemption  of  men  will  appear  to  be  the  result  of  infinite 
wisdom  and  benevolence. 

The  text  is  descriptive  of  the  most  important  part  of  the 
work  the  Son  of  God  has  performed,  and  has  engaged  ta  per- 
form for  the  salvation  of  His  people. 

Its  two  clauses  require  separate  and  careful  consideration. 

I.  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  His  soul. 

This  language  is  expressive  of  strong  and  very  deep  feelings. 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11.  103 

such  as  none  experience  except  those  who  have  been  born  of 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  travail  of  soul  the  Son  of  God  experienced  was  not  oc- 
casioned merely  or  chiefly  by  the  treatnnent  He  received  from 
His  enemies  before,  and  at  the  time  of  His  crucifixion.  Though 
born  in  a  manger,  and  though  He  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head, 
yet  He  never  was  heard  to  complain  of  His  poverty.  Though 
rich,  He  voluntarily  became  poor,  that  we  through  His  poverty 
might  be  made  rich.  The  glory  He  had  with  His  Father  be- 
fore the  world  was,  He  concealed  in  His  human  nature. 
Though  at  any  time  he  could  by  asking,  obtain  from  His 
Father  more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels  for  His  protection ; 
yet  He  permitted  His  enemies  to  act  out  toward  Him  the  feel- 
ings of  their  hearts.  "When  upon  the  cross  His  prayer  was 
*'  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  The 
travail  of  His  soul  was  not  occasioned  by  any  bodily  pains 
and  sufferings.  Such,  indeed,  is  the  connexion  between  soul 
and  body,  that  the  wounds  and  pains  of  the  latter  more  or  less 
affect  the  former.  Those  sufferings  which  originate  in  the 
mind  are  more  intolerable  than  those  which  originate  in  the 
body.  The  travail  of  soul  which  the  Son  of  God  experienced, 
was  internal.  It  admits  of  no  adequate  description,  and  is 
very  imperfectly  understood  by  the  most  intelligent  and  devoted 
Christian.  It  is  a  subject  on  which  we  ought  intensely  to  med- 
itate. No  subject  is  better  suited  to  move  the  affections  of  the 
heart,  and  to  fasten  them  on  Him,  who  is  the  chief  among  ten 
thousand,  and  altogether  lovely. 

In  the  following  discourse  I  shall  mention  some  of  these 
considerations  which  occasioned  that  travail  of  soul,  which 
the  Son  of  God  endured  when  effecting  the  redemption  of  His 
people. 


104  Sermon  on  Isaiah  Vii'i.  11. 

1.  His  love  of  His  Father  was  infinite  and  infinitely  intense. 
(Its  object  is  infinitely  glorious.)  Just  in  proportion  to  the 
strength  of  His  love  (of  His  Father)  was  His  grief,  on  account 
of  the  disobedience  and  rebellion  of  the  human  race.  They 
are  His  creatures,  the  subjects  of  His  moral  government,  and 
dependent  on  God  for  protection  and  every  enjoyment.  The 
great  things  done  for  them  aggravated  their  guilt.  Man  was 
originally  made  in  the  image  of  God,  but  little  lower  than  the 
angels ;  like  His  Creator  in  holiness,  only  infinitely  inferior. 
God  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honor — gave  him  dominion 
over  the  works  of  His  hands,  and  put  all  things  under  his  feet. 
He  was  made  capable  of  holding  communion  with  God,  and 
was  permitted  to  dwell  near  Him.  It  would  have  been  a 
grief  to  the  Son  of  God  to  see  the  image  of  His  Father  defaced 
and  lost  in  all  the  human  race.  It  must  have  been  grief  to 
the  Son  of  God  to  see  that  law,  which  is  holy,  just,  and  good, 
and  which  is  a  transcript  of  the  moral  perfections  of  his 
Father,  disregarded  and  trodden  under  foot.  Every  act  of 
disobedience  proceeds  from  opposition  to  the  holy  character  of 
God.  By  the  apostasy  of  our  first  parents,  the  whole  human 
family,  made  to  worship  and  enjoy  God,  became  his  open  ene- 
mies, and  by  their  conduct  bid  defiance  to  their  rightful 
Sovereign.  The  Son  of  God  could  not  see  the  only  subjects  of 
His  Father's  moral  government  in  this  world,  rise  up  in  rebel- 
lion against  Him  without  grief,  and  without  an  earnest  desire 
to  bring  them  to  repentance. 

2.  The  apostasy  of  man  did  not  change  his  relation  to  God 
as  his  Creator  and  rightful  Sovereign.  He  sustains  a  nearer 
relation  to  God  than  children  sustain  to  their  parents.  Though 
God  was  angry  with  him  on  account  of  his  disobedience,  yet 
He  loved  him  as  one  of  His  creatures.     "  For  God  so  loved 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11.  105 

the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  Him  might  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 
In  proportion  to  His  love  of  lost  man  was  His  desire  of  their 
salvation,  and  of  His  willingness  to  make  sacrifices  to  effect 
the  object.  The  nearer  the  relation  we  sustain  to  any,  the 
more  deeply  are  we  distressed  when  they  suffer,  and  especially, 
when  by  some  wicked  and  disgraceful  act  they  have  exposed 
themselves  to  a  capital  punishment,  which  will  be  the  punish- 
ment of  every  one  who  is  not  saved.  How  indescribable  must 
be  the  agony  of  a  fond  parent,  when  he  sees  a  beloved  child 
for  some  great  crime  led  away  to  the  place  of  execution ! 
How  deep  then  must  have  been  the  distress  of  the  Son  of  God, 
when  He  saw  the  world  lying  in  wickedness,  and  all  mankind 
exposed  to  everlasting  death  !  They  were,  let  it  be  remem- 
bered, more  nearly  related  to  Him  than  children  to  their  pa- 
rents. 

The  deluge  and  other  calamities,  intended  to  bring  men  to 
repentance,  and  to  keep  them  from  sinning,  did  not  produce 
the  intended  effect.  Had  they  repented,  their  repentance 
would  not  have  made  satisfaction  for  past  transgression.  Per- 
fect obedience  would  have  been  demanded  of  them  had  they 
never  sinned.  The  demands  of  the  divine  law  must  be  satis- 
fied, otherwise  no  transgressor  can  be  justified.  As  it  was 
impossible  for  the  disobedient  to  satisfy  divine  justice,  so  they 
could  not  hope  for  salvation  without  the  interposition  of  a 
proper  substitute.  The  Son  of  God  was  the  only  person  who 
could  be  a  proper  substitute :  and  whose  perfect  righteousness 
could  be  a  proper  foundation  for  the  justification  of  the  ungodly. 
Holy  angels  can  do  no  more  than  discharge  the  duties  they  owe 
to  God.  They  can  merit  nothing  for  their  fellow-creatures.  The 
Son  of  God  saw  millions  and  hundreds  of  millions  whom  He 


106  Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11. 

desired  to  save,  under  sentence  of  death,  and  exposed  to  ever- 
lasting ruin.  The  work  to  be  done  He  saw  was  great.  Great 
as  it  was,  He  was  able  and  willing  to  accomplish  it. 

III.  The  apostasy  of  man  afforded  the  Son  of  God  an  oppor- 
tunity to  do  more  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  His  Father,  than 
could  have  been  done  by  the  perfect  obedience  of  all  mankind. 
Such  was  the  magnitude  of  the  work  he  undertook  to  accom- 
plish, as  to  require  the  exercise  of  all  His  powers.  "  And  I 
looked,  saith  the  Lord,  And  there  was  none  to  help,  and  I  won- 
dered that  there  was  none  to  uphold,  therefore  mine  own  arm 
brought  salvation  unto  me,  and  my  fury  it  upheld  me."  (Tsa. 
Ixiii.  9.)  None  but  a  Divine  person  could  have  any  adequate 
knowledge  of  the  claims  of  an  infinite  God  "  whose  kingdom  is 
an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  whose  dominion  is  throughout  all 
generations."  The  work  to  be  accomplished,  and  the  means 
to  be  employed  must  correspond  with  the  infinite  excellence 
and  magnitude  of  the  object  sought.  All  the  subjects  of  God's 
moral  government  in  all  parts  of  His  vast  empire,  are,  or  will 
be,  more  or  less  effected  by  what  is  done  in  this  world.  Holy 
angels,  who  saw  some  of  their  companions  banished  from 
heaven  for  their  disobedience,  could  not  adore  and  praise  God 
with  all  their  heart,  unless  satisfied  with  the  plan  adopted  for 
the  redemption  of  man.  Those  who  are  suffering  the  wrath 
of  God,  could  not  feel  that  their  punishment  is  just,  if  they  saw 
any  saved  in  their  sins,  or  saved  without  as  strong  an  expres- 
sion as  their  punishment,  of  God's  hatred  of  sin. 

The  work  of  redemption  must  be  so  perfect  that  neither 
holy  nor  unholy  angels  can  discover  any  defect  in  it.  How 
diflicult  the  work,  how  infinite  the  responsibility  of  the  Son  of 
God  !  None  but  a  person  possessed  of  infinite  attributes  could 
attempt  to  accomplish  it.  No  man,  however  penitent,  could 
without  reserve  trust  in  any  other. 


Se7'mon  on  Isaiah  I'm.  11.  107 

The  humiliation  of  the  Son  of  God,  without  which  our 
redemption  could  not  be  accomplished,  was  infinite.  In  this 
we  have  the  clearest  views  of  the  intensity  of  His  love.  To 
execute  His  purpose  He  must  descend  from  His  lofty  height — 
hide  His  glory  in  humanity — humanity  degraded  by  the  apos- 
tasy, and  must  suffer  His  enemies  to  accuse,  revile,  mock 
Him,  and  put  Him  to  the  most  disgraceful  death.  Though  He 
was  in  the  form  of  God,  and  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal 
with  God ;  "  He  made  Himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon 
Him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of 
men,  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  He  humbled  Him- 
self and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the 
cross."  (Phil.  ii.  6-8.)  The  humiliation  of  the  Son  of  God  was 
wonderful.  When  we  meditate  on  it  we  are  soon  lost  in  won- 
der. Who  of  the  greatest  patriots  or  philanthropists  the  world 
ever  produced,  ever  submitted  to  any  humiliation  like  this  to 
rescue  the  suffering  from  impending  ruin  ?  Men  may  have 
made  great  sacrifices,  and  given  large  sums  for  the  promotion 
of  some  important  object,  they  may  have  exposed  their  lives 
in  the  defence  of  their  country ;  but  in  doing  this  they  do  not 
fail  of  obtaining  the  praise  of  men.  It  is  much  less  difficult 
for  a  proud  and  an  ambitious  man  to  give  his  property  and  to 
expose  his  life  to  danger  in  an  honorable  cause,  than  to  do 
that,  however  excellent  his  motives,  which  must  expose  him 
to  reproach  and  contempt.  It  was  the  intense  love  of  men, 
and  His  desire  of  their  salvation,  which  moved  the  Son  of  God 
to  make  Himself  of  no  reputation  that  He  might  accomplish 
His  purpose.  The  proud  and  ambitious  of  this  world  always 
endeavor  to  avoid  what  is  below  their  station,  or  what  may 
make  them  less  esteemed  by  the  world.  The  professed  piety 
of  that  man  can  be  of  no  real  value,  which  will  allow  him  to 


108  Sermon  on  Isaiah  Vm.  1\. 

do  nothing  for  the  cause  of  his  Redeemer,  which  will  not 
secure  for  him  the  praise  of  men.  Fidelity  in  the  service  of 
Christ — that  fidelity  which  is  usually  blessed  to  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  always  has  exposed  and  always  will  expose  the 
christian  to  reproach.  "  But  woe  unto  you,"  said  our  Lord  to 
His  disciples,  "  when  all  men  speak  well  of  you,  for  so  did 
their  fathers  to  the  false  prophets."  (Luke  vi.  26.)  It  requires 
no  humiliation  or  self-denial  to  occupy  an  important  station 
and  to  do  nothing  which  worldly  men  disapprove.  So  long  as 
the  heart  of  any  one  remains  in  its  natural  state,  it  must  feel 
opposed  to  clear  exhibitions  of  the  character  of  Christ  neces- 
sary to  conversion. 

The  Son  of  God  in  the  accomplishment  of  His  work,  met 
with  strong  opposition  from  men  and  from  the  wicked  one. 
He  had  but  just  became  incarnate,  when  his  life  was  sought  by 
Herod,  king  of  the  Jews.  John,  sent  to  prepare  the  way  for 
Him,  was  beheaded.  Innumerable  invisible  and  evil  spirits 
no  doubt  operated  on  the  hearts  of  men  to  prevent  them  from 
receiving  the  truth.  They  are  still  active  in  opposing  the 
work  of  the  Son  of  God.  They  suggest  objections  to  the  essen- 
tial doctrines  of  Christianity,  and  furnish  the  impenitent  with 
excuses  for  their  delay  of  repentance.  Few  are  aware  how 
they  are  influenced  by  the  great  enemy  of  God  and  of  their 
souls. 

4.  Before  the  Son  of  God  could  plead  successfully  for  the 
pardon  and  justification  of  any  of  the  human  race,  it  was  ne- 
cessary for  Him  to  stand  in  the  place  of  sinners  before  their 
offended  Sovereign,  and  to  receive  the  chastisement  they 
deserved.  There  is  something  terrible  in  the  anger  of  a  holy 
God,  of  which  none  have  any  conception  except  those  who 
have  been  tiie  subjects  of  the  operation  of  the  Spirit.     When 


jSei'mon  on  Isaiah  \in.  11.  109 

the  Son  of  God  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners,  His  Father  hid 
His  face  from  Him.  Then  His  sufferings  were  greater  than 
they  were  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  where  He  sweat  as  it 
were  great  drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the  ground.  In  the 
latter  place  He  could  adopt  the  language  of  the  Son,  and  say, 
"O,  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me, 
nevertheless  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt."  But  when  upon 
the  cross  and  His  Father's  face  was  hidden  from  Him,  He  could 
not  say  "  O,  my  Father,"  as  He  had  done.  He  could  only  say 
in  His  extremity,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 


me 


?» 


Indescribable  and   inconceivable  was  the   travail  of  soul 
which  the  Son  of  God  experienced  in  effecting  the  salvation  of 
His  people.     When  He  had  magnified  the  Divine  law  and 
made  it  honorable  by  His  obedience  and  death,  He  had  a  firm 
foundation  on  which  He  could  rest  his  plea  for  the  redemption 
of  all  given  to  Him  in  the  covenant  of  redemption.      He  had 
done  more  to  honor  the  law  of  God  than  could  have  been  done 
by  man,  had  he  never  sinned.     His  Father  could  not  refuse  to 
give  Him  a  reward  for  the  work  He  had  performed.     "  All  that 
the  Father  giveth  me,"  he  said,  *'  shall  come  to  me  ;  and  him 
that  Cometh  to  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.      For  I  came 
down  from  heaven  not  to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of 
Him  that  sent  me.     And  this  is  the  Father's  will  that  sent  me 
that  of  all  which  He  hath  given  me  I  should  lose  nothing,  but 
should  raise  it  up  again  at  the  last  day."      (John  vi.  37-39.) 
Many  as  a  fact  have  been  redeemed  by  Him,  and  many  are  the 
promises  that  His  followers  shall  be  numerous  as  the  stars  of 
heaven,  and  as  the  sands  upon  the  sea-shore.     "  He  shall  have 
the  heathen  for  His  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
earth  for  His  possession."      "I  beheld,"  said  John,  in  a  vision, 


t 
110  Sermon  on  Isaiah  Vi'n.  11. 

"  and  lo,  a  great  multitude  which  no  man  could  number,  of  all 
nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues  stood  before  the 
throne,  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and 
palms  in  their  hands,  and  cried  with  aloud  voice,  saying,  Sal- 
vation unto  our  God,  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto 
the  Lamb."     (Rev.  vii.  9,  10.) 

II.  The  second  clause  of  the  text  will  next  demand  our 
attention. 

The  following,  no  doubt,  are  some  of  the  considerations 
which  will  give  satisfaction  to  the  Son  of  God  for  the  part  He 
has  performed  in  the  work  of  redemption. 

1.  When  the  Son  of  God  reviews  the  work  undertaken  by 
Him,  and  finds  no  defect  in  any  part,  nothing  omitted,  over- 
looked or  imperfectly  executed.  He  must  in  this  particular  be 
satisfied.      It  was  in  certain  expectation  of  the  completion  of 
His  work,  that  He  said  just  before  He  bowed  His  head  and 
gave  up  the  ghost,  "  It  is  finished."     He  is  the  only  person  who 
could  ever  say  this.      Those  christians  who  have  made  the 
greatest  attainments  in  holiness,  see  most  of  their  own  defects, 
and  at  the  close  of  life  feel  that  they  can  depend  on  nothing 
but  the  righteousness  of  Christ.     They  have  the  most  abasing 
views  of  themselves,  and  feel  that  their  life  has  by  no  means 
corresponded  with  their  obligations  to  Him  who  gave  His  life 
for   them.      They   are    satisfied   with   the  method   God   has 
adopted  for  their  redemption.      They  discover  no  defect  in  it. 
The  more  they  meditate  on  it  the  more  they  are  satisfied  that 
it  is  the  result  of  infinite  wisdom  and  benevolence.      It  is  as 
honorable  to  God  as  it  is  safe  for  men.      God  can  be  just — 
appear  righteous  to  all  the  subjects  of  his  moral  government, 
and  the  justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus.     The  plan  and 
work  of  redemption  gives  us  brighter  views  of  the  glorious  per- 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11.  Ill 

fections  of  God,  than  could  have  been  given  hij  the  moral  law. 
The  satisfaction  of  the  believer  is  wholly  derived  from  his 
union  with  Christ,  of  whose  joy  and  glory  he  is  made  a  parta- 
ker, Christ  is  just  such  a  Saviour  as  he  needs,  and  appears  to 
be  altogether  lovely  and  glorious. 

2.  The  success  which  results  from  the  completion  of  the  part 
assigned  to  the  Son  of  God  in  the  work  of  redemption,  must 
afford  Him  satisfaction.  With  what  delight  must  he,  after  his 
ascension,  have  looked  down  upon  Jerusalem,  near  which  city 
He  was  crucified,  when  He  saw  in  one  day,  three  thousand 
converted  and  numbered  with  the  disciples  ?  Holy  angels  also 
were  delighted  to  see  Him  whom  they  worshiped,  so  highly 
honored.  There  is  joy  in  heaven,  in  their  presence,  over  one 
sinner  that  repenteth  ;  how  great  must  be  their  joy  when  God 
revives  His  work  and  many  are  converted  ! 

Nothing  affords  greater  satisfaction  to  men  than  the  success 
which  attends  any  enterprise  in  which  they  may  be  engaged. 
The  degree  of  satisfaction  they  experience  corresponds  with 
its  importance,  and  the  obstacles  overcome. 

The  work  performed  by  the  Son  of  God  was  the  most  impor- 
tant and  difficult  ever  undertaken,  infinitely  above  the  powers 
of  any  created  being,  or  of  all  created  beings  united.  Indeed 
it  was  more  difficult  and  important  than  the  work  of  creation. 
In  the  work  of  creation  there  was  no  obstacle  to  overcome  ; 
but  in  the  work  of  redemption,  the  enmity  of  the  human  heart 
and  the  mightj"^  power  of  wicked  angels  must  be  overcome. 
The  work  of  creation  makes  no  exhibition  of  the  forgiving  love 
of  God  ;  but  in  the  work  of  redemption  we  have  the  brightest 
view  of  the  glory  of  God. 

In  every  instance,  the  plan  of  redemption,  when  cordially 
approved,  has  produced  its  legitimate  result.       "Him   that 


112  Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11. 

Cometh  unto  me,"  said  Christ,  "I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.*'  No 
one  can  ever  say  that  he  trusted  in  Christ,  and  did  not 
obtain  the  pardon  of  his  sins  and  the  hope  of  future  life  and 
happiness.  If  any  perish,  it  will  not  be  because  the  work  per- 
formed by  the  Son  of  God  is  in  any  part  imperfect,  but  because 
they  refuse  to  trust  in  Him.  It  is  unreasonable  to  condemn 
the  remedy  prescribed  for  a  disease,  by  those  who  refuse  to 
receive  it,  especially  when  they  have  the  most  abundant  proofs 
that  all  who  have  made  use  of  it  have  been  effectually  cured. 
The  Son  of  God  may  well  be  satisfied  with  what  He  has  done, 
as  every  one  has  obtained  a  good  hope  of  salvation  who  has 
accepted  of  His  offer,  and  put  their  trust  in  Him.  His  righ- 
teousness is  as  sufficient  for  all  mankind  as  for  a  single  indi- 
vidual. 

3.  Christianity,  whenever  known  and  externalhj  respected, 
has  produced  the  most  beneficial  effects.  Every  missionary 
station  established  but  a  few  years  in  a  pagan  land,  affords  a 
proof  of  this.  The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  is  made 
glad  for  them,  and  the  desert  is  made  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as 
the  rose.  The  eyes  of  the  blind  are  opened,  the  ears  of  the 
deaf  are  unstopped.  "  The  lame  man  is  made  to  leap  as  a 
hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  to  sing ;  for  in  the  wilder- 
ness waters  break  out,  and  streams  in  the  desert." 

What  crime  can  be  named  which  Christianity  does  not  con- 
demn? It  urges,  by  the  most  powerful  motives,  strict  obedience 
to  all  the  precepts  of  the  moral  law.  Should  the  moral  law  be 
carefully  observed,  even  among  us,  we  should  witness  a  happy 
change  in  the  state  of  society  even  in  this  christian  country;  and 
how  much  greater  in  a  pagan  country?  With  respect  to  tem- 
poral comforts  and  privileges,  there  is  a  great  difference  between 
pagan  and  christian  countries,  and  between  those  countries 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11.  113 

where  the  Gospel  in  its  simplicity  is  received,  and  where  a 
corrupt  system  has  influence.  None  of  the  evils  which  exist 
in  christian  countries  can  be  traced  to  the  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity as  the  direct  cause.  Christianity  is  opposed  to  the  cor- 
rupt opinions  and  practices  of  men.  On  this  account  it  meets 
with  opposition  more  or  less  violent.  The  fault  is  not  in  Chris- 
tianity, but  in  those  who  oppose  it,  and  zealously  contend 
against  its  holy  doctrines. 

4.  Another  consideration  gives  satisfaction  to  Christ.  He 
had  the  unqualified  approbation  of  His  Father.  His  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead  was  a  miracle  performed  by  His  Father, 
and  had  reference  to  all  that  He  had  done,  and  was  a  proof 
that  His  Father  fully  approved  the  work  He  had  finished. 
The  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  another  proof  that  His 
work  was  approved. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  never  sent  to  accompany  or  to  give  suc- 
cess to  error — to  any  opinion  or  system  dishonorable  to  the 
character  or  government  of  God.  To  have  the  approbation  of 
His  Father  was  the  greatest  reward  the  Son  of  God  desired. 
His  Father  gave  Him  a  seat  at  His  right  hand.  This  was 
conferring  the  highest  honor  upon  Him  for  what  He  had  done. 
What  more  could  He  desire  ?  What  more  could  His  friends 
desire  for  Him  ? 

The  prayers  offered  by  the  Son  of  God  being  always  off*ered 
in  submission  to  His  Father's  will,  were  always  answered.. 
"  I  came  down  from  heaven,"  he  said,  "  not  to  do  mine  own  will, 
but  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me.  And  this  is  the  Father's 
will  which  hath  sent  me,  that  of  all  which  He  hath  given  me  I 
should  lose  nothing,  but  should  raise  it  up  again  at  the  last 
day.  And  this  is  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me,  that  everyone 
which  seeth  the  Son  and  believeth  on  Him,  may  have  everlast- 


114  Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11. 

ing  life  :  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day."  (John  vi. 
38-40.)  His  reward  will  correspond  with  the  promises  of  His 
Father.  All  revivals  of  religion,  and  all  conversions  are 
granted  in  answer  to  His  prayers,  and  in  fulfilment  of  prom- 
ises made  Him.  It  is  in  answer  to  His  prayers  that  the  Holy 
Spirit,  the  Comforter,  is  sent  to  visit  the  churches  and  to  ena- 
ble them  to  offer  those  prayers  for  the  conversion  of  sinners, 
which  God  never  fails  to  answer.  It  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  the 
third  person  in  the  ever  blessed  Trinity,  by  whom  sinners  are 
awakened,  convicted,  converted,  and  vitally  united  to  Christ. 
By  the  same  agent  they  are  sanctified  and  prepared  for  admit- 
tance into  heaven. 

APPLICATIOX. 

1.  The  subject  of  this  discourse  furnishes  christians  with  a 
standard  by  which  they  may  form  a  correct  judgment  respect- 
ing their  praj'ers  and  lives.  "If  any  man  have  not  the  spirit 
of  Christ,"  said  the  apostle,  "  he  is  none  of  His."  God  is  ever 
ready  to  hear  the  prayers  of  His  church  when  offered  with 
deep  and  right  feelings  of  heart — indeed  when  they  correspond 
but  imperfectly  with  the  pra3-ers  of  Christ.  How  can  they 
expect  their  prayers  to  be  heard,  if  they  do  not  proceed  from 
their  heart  ?  "  Ye  hypocrites  !"  said  Christ,  to  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  "  well  did  Esaias  prophesy  of  you,  saying,  This  peo- 
ple draweth  nigh  unto  me  with  their  mouths,  and  honoreth  me 
with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is  far  from  me."  (Matt.  xv.  7, 
8.)  That  prayer  which  does  not  proceed  from  the  heart,  can- 
not be  accepted.  It  is  an  oflence  to  God.  It  seems  to  be 
an  attempt  to  deceive  the  omniscient  and  heart-searching 
God.  Men  of  the  world  cannot  be  persuaded  that  those  whose 
hearts  appear  to  be  unaffected  when  they  pray,  can  believe 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  II.  115 

the  doctrines  they  profess  to  believe,  or  which  they  teach. 
How  can  any  christian  freely  believe  that  all  who  have  not  been 
born  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  under  sentence  of  death,  and  be 
unmoved  when  offering  prayer  for  their  conversion  ?  It  is  not 
sufficient  to  offer  words,  however  beautiful  the  expressions,  if 
they  do  not  proceed  from  the  heart.  What  the  Son  of  God 
did  for  the  salvation  of  men  corresponded  with  the  travail  of 
His  soul.  Though  rich,  He  became  poor.  He  exposed  Him- 
self by  His  faithful  exhibitions  of  the  truth,  to  reproach,  scorn, 
persecution  and  death.  It  is  impossible  for  those  who  give 
grudgingly  of  their  substance  for  the  cause  of  their  Redeemer, 
and  who,  to  obtain  the  praise  of  men,  conceal  or  modify  the 
most  essential  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  to  experience  any  tra- 
vail of  soul  when  praying  for  the  conversion  of  sinners. 

2.  Hovf  few  prayers  are  offered  with  the  unction  of  the 
Spirit !  Ardent  love  of  God  and  of  the  souls  of  men,  if  accom- 
panied by  corresponding  labors,  will  move  the  hearts  of 
christians  to  offer  acceptable  prayers  to  God  for  the  conversion 
of  sinners.  God  is  more  ready  to  grant  the  Holy  Spirit  than 
we  are  with  proper  feelings  to  ask  for  this  great  blessing. 
"  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,"  saith  the  Lord,  "  that  before  they 
call  I  will  answer,  and  while  they  are  yet  speaking  I  will 
hear."  (Isaiah  Ixv.  24.)  Enlarged  views  of  the  character  of 
God,  the  worth  of  the  soul,  the  deep  depravity  of  the  human 
heart,  and  the  value  of  the  price  paid  for  the  redemption  of 
men,  can  hardly  fail  to  draw  forth  the  agonizing  prayer  of  the 
church  for  the  effusions  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  whose  power 
sinners  may  be  saved  and  become  the  followers  of  Christ. 
Men  of  the  world  judge  correctly  whether  prayers  proceed 
from  the  heart,  or  are  only  the  service  of  the  lips.  The  mere 
outward  performance  of  duty  strengthens  the  unbelief  of  sin- 


IIG  Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11. 

ners,  and,  if  long  continued,  makes  them  unwilling  to  receive 
those  truths  which  God  makes  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  sin- 
ners. 

3.  Christians,  when  they  compare  their  lives  with  the  stand- 
ard exhibited  to  view  in  this  discourse,  can  never  be  satisfied 
with  themselves  ;  but  may  be  satisfied  with  the  foundation  of 
their  hope.  If  we  say  that  we  are  perfect,  that  will  prove  us  per- 
verse. The  more  eminent  any  are  for  piety,  the  more  clearly 
the  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit  shines  in  their  souls,  and  the  more 
they  discover  of  the  depths  of  human  depravity. 

The  satisfaction  of  believers  must  be  derived  from  their 
union  with  Christ,  in  whom  there  is  an  infinite  fulness.  If  the 
Son  of  God  who  did  so  much  for  the  redemption  of  men,  and 
who  gave  the  most  undeniable  proofs  of  His  love  of  His  Father 
and  of  the  world,  can  be  satisfied,  all  who  are  united  to  Him 
must  be  satisfied,  and  must  partake  of  His  joy.  But  why  so 
few  are  saved,  and  why  so  many  millions  of  the  human  race 
remain  ignorant  of  the  Gospel,  we  know  not.  When  the  Son 
of  God  finished  His  work  on  the  earth,  He  said  to  His  disci- 
ples, the  apostles,  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the 
Gospel  to  every  creature.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized, 
shall  be  saved  ;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
Here  we  have  a  proof  of  His  unbounded  liberality.  He  is  no 
respecter  of  persons,  is  as  ready  to  save  the  poor  as  the  rich. 
Why  God  did  not  prevent  the  angels  that  fell  from  sinning,  we 
know  not.  And  why  He  does  not,  by  the  mighty  power  of  His 
Spirit,  convert  whole  congregations  where  the  Gospel  is  faith- 
fully preached,  we  know  not.  If  it  be  not  inconsistent  with 
His  infinite  goodness  that  men  suffer  in  this  world,  it  may  not 
be  if  they  suffer  in  the  future  world.  The  fact  is  made  known 
that  the  angels  that  sinned  are  "  reserved  in  chains  under  dark- 


Sermon  on  Isaiah  liii.  11.  117 

ness,  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day."  They  are  as  dear 
to  God  as  His  creatures,  as  any  impenitent  of  the  human  race. 
Let  not  any  persuade  themselves  that  God  will  not  punish  them 
if  they  refuse  to  accept  the  offer  freely  made  of  salvation 
through  faith  in  Christ.  God  v^rill  not  change  His  purpose, 
but  will  do  as  He  has  said.  Be  persuaded,  sinner,  to  seek 
refuge  in  Christ  while  you  have  opportunity.  And  may  God 
bless  the  word  which  you  have  heard.     Amen. 


S 


CHRIST,  AND  HIM  CRUCIFIED. 

1  CORINTHIANS  II.  2. 

"  For  I  determined  not  to  know  anything  among  you  save  Jesus  Christ, 
and  Him  crucified." 

The  passage  of  Scripture  from  which  the  text  has  been 
taken,  is  descriptive  of  the  manner  in  which  Paul,  the  most 
thoroughly  educated,  laborious  and  successful  of  all  the  apos- 
tles, preached  the  Gospel  at  Corinth,  one  of  the  most  opulent, 
splendid  and  polished  of  the  cities  of  Greece — a  city  which 
abounded  with  renowned  philosophers,  accomplished  orators, 
and  other  learned  men.  The  chief  topic  of  his  conversation, 
and  constant  theme  of  his  discourses  in  that  gay,  corrupt,  and 
idolatrous  city,  was  the  redemption  of  man  through  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified. 

The  great  and  wonderful  change  the  apostle  had  experien- 
ced in  his  own  views  and  feelings,  which  had  been  produced 
by  the  mighty  power  of  God,  and  his  cordial  reception  of  the 
truths  of  the  Gospel,  gave  a  new  direction  to  his  thoughts  and 
pursuits,  and  made  him,  who  had  been  a  most  determined 
enemy  of  Christianity,  one  of  its  warmest  and  firmest  friends. 
The  more  perfectly  he  understood  the  method  God  had  devised 
and  adopted  for  the  redemption  of  lost  men,  the  more  freely  he 
was  convinced  that  it  was  the  result  of  infinite  wisdom  and 
benevolence.  It  appeared  to  him  to  be  exactly  suited  to  the 
wants  of  all  classes  of  the  human  race.  He  discovered  in 
it   no   defect,   and  nothing   superfluous.      He  felt   that   any 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  119 

attempt  at  embellishment,  like  clouds  before  the  sun,  would 
only  obscure  its  glory,  diminish  its  influence,  and  divert  the 
attention  of  his  hearers  from  those  considerations  which  most 
deeply  concerned  them.  He  also  felt  that  Christianity  does 
not  need  any  system  of  philosophy  which  is  the  offspring  of 
human  reason,  to  render  it  acceptable  to  men,  and  to  increase 
its  influence.  It  is  itself  the  most  perfect  system  of  heavenly 
philosophy,  of  which  God  Himself  is  the  author. 

When  exhibited  in  its  simplicity  it  makes  the  most  power- 
ful, lasting  and  salutary  impressions  on  the  minds  of  men,  and 
produces  the  most  happy  results. 

Nothing  has  done  so  much  to  corrupt  Christianity,  and  to 
render  its  distinguishing  doctrines  powerless,  as  endeavors  to 
accelerate  its  progress  by  uniting  it  with  some  system  of  phi- 
losophy. That  the  apostle  had  this  view  of  the  subject,  is 
manifest  from  the  following  passage  in  his  epistle  to  the  Co- 
lossians  :  "  Beware  lest  anj'  man  spoil  you  through  philoso- 
phy and  vain  deceit,  after  the  tradition  of  men,  after  the  rudi- 
ments of  the  world,  and  not  after  Christ.  For  in  Him  dwell- 
eth  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily."     (Col.  ii.  8,  9.) 

There  have  been  some  in  every  age,  who,  relying  more  on 
the  powers  of  their  mind  or  on  the  perfection  of  human  instru- 
mentality than  on  the  mighty  energy  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  have 
persuaded  themselves  that  those  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  to 
which  the  unrenewed  are  most  opposed,  can  be  so  explained 
as  to  appear  reasonable  to  the  intelligent  members  of  society, 
and  worthy  of  their  cordial  approbation.  If  this  can  be  done, 
the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  must  be  unnecessary.  The  infi- 
del does  not  object  to  opinions  and  doctrines  which  appear  to 
him  to  be  agreeable  to  the  principles  and  laws  of  human  rea- 
son.    How  then,  he  may  be  asked,  can  he  account  for  the  fact 


120  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

that  Christ,  the  most  perfect  teacher  in  the  world,  and  who 
"  spake  as  never  man  spake,"'  met  with  the  most  violent  oppo- 
sition of  the  most  intelligent  of  the  Jews  ? 

By  the  accommodation  of  Christianity  to  human  reason,  the 
most  pernicious  errors  have  been  introduced  into  the  church, 
and  have  at  different  periods  prevailed.  It  is  difficult  for  men 
of  strong  powers  of  mind,  and  of  extensive  learning,  who  are 
admired  for  their  pleasing  manners  and  their  eloquence,  to 
depend  for  success  on  the  word  and  Spirit  of  God.  The 
applause  they  receive  not  only  begets  a  love  of  praise,  but  also 
a  desire  so  to  modify  the  most  unpopular  doctrines,  as  to  ena- 
ble them  to  preach  them  without  giving  offence.  Hence  we 
seldom  find  a  very  popular  preacher  a  bold  advocate  of  the 
distinguishing  truths  of  Christianity.  Some,  with  a  view  to 
increase  the  number  of  their  converts,  do  modify  those  truths 
to  which  the  unrenewed  are  most  opposed.  It  is  easier  to  do 
this  than  to  humble  themselves  before  God,  and  by  impar- 
tial self-examination,  intense  meditation  on  the  truth,  and 
persevering  prayer  to  seek  for  the  Holy  Spirit. 

It  was  the  aim  of  the  apostle  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  its 
greatest  simplicity,  that  its  fruits  might  be  genuine.  In  this 
way  he  looked  for  sound  conversions  and  great  success.  "And 
I,  brethren,"  he  said  to  the  church,  at  Corinth,  where  his  suc- 
cess was  great,  "  when  I  came  to  you,  I  came  not  with  excel- 
lency of  speech  or  of  wisdom,  declaring  unto  you  the  testi. 
mony  of  God,  and  my  speech  and  my  preaching  was  not  with 
enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  the  demonstration  of 
spirit  and  of  power."  The  reason  is  given.  "  That  your  faith 
should  not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of 
God" — in  other  words  that  your  faith  should  not  be  the  result 
of  moral  suasion,  but  the  effect  of  the  mighty  power  of  God. 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  121 

(1  Cor.  ii.  1-5.)  Christianity,  when  divested  of  everything  not 
essential  to  it,  gives  us  the  clearest  view  of  the  character  of 
God,  and  the  changes  produced  by  it  are  the  most  satisfac- 
tory. 

Paul,  the  greatest  and  most  successful  of  all  the  apostles, 
when  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  meditating  on  the  redemp- 
tion of  lost  men,  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  cruci- 
fied, was  so  overpowered  with  a  view — 1,  of  the  grandeur  and 
comprehensiveness  of  the  plan  adopted  for  its  accomplishment — 
2,  its  relation  to  us,  and  its  perfect  adaptation  to  the  wants  of  all 
classes  of  men — 3,  ajid  its  perpetually  unfolding  wonders  that 
he  could  think  and  speak  of  nothing  else. 

To  these  particulars  suggested  for  our  consideration  by 
the  text,  your  attention  in  the  following  discourse  will  be 
directed. 

I.  The  grandeur  and  comprehensiveness  of  the  plan  of 
redemption. 

1.  The  grandeur  and  comprehensiveness  of  the  plan  of 
redemption  appear  from  the  following  considerations :  God  is 
its  author ;  it  reveals  and  equally  interests  the  three  persons 
in  the  ever  blessed  Trinity,  its  influence  extends  to  all  worlds,  to 
all  ages,  distinguishes  lost  men  from  lost  angels,  exhibits  to  view 
the  wonderful  union  of  the  mercy  and  justice  of  God  in  the  deliv- 
erance of  all  who  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified, 
from  the  deepest  degradation  and  wretchedness,  and  in  their 
restoration  to  the  favor  of  their  offended  Sovereign.  Holy 
angels,  great  in  dignity,  in  knowledge  and  wisdom,  desire  to 
look  into  these  things,  and  delight  to  worship  the  Son  of  God, 
and  to  minister  to  his  disciples.  Christianity  is  "  the  power  of 
God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God  to  every  one  that  believeth." 

More  than  twenty  years  after,  Paul,  the  most  laborious  and 


122  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

successful  of  the  apostles,  though  favored  with  the  teachings  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  felt  that  his  knowledge  of  the  forgiving  love  of 
God  was  extremely  limited.  "  Brethren,"  he  said,  in  his  epis- 
tle to  the  Philippians,"I  count  not  myself  to  have  apprehended; 
but  this  one  thing  I  do :  forgetting  those  things  that  are  behind, 
and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things  that  are  before,  I  press 
toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus." 

2.  The  end  which  God  has  in  view,  and  which  he  is  pursu- 
ing in  all  his  works,  is  another  and  most  important  considera- 
tion. All  the  revelations  of  God  make  it  manifest  that  the 
glory  of  his  holiness  is  the  ultimate  end  he  has  in  view  in  his 
works  of  creation  and  providence,  and  more  especially  in  his 
work  of  redemption.  When  he  created  the  world,  the  morning 
stars  who  were  spectators  of  the  grand  exhibition  of  power, 
and  wisdom,  and  goodness,  "  sang  together,  and  all  the  sons  of 
God  shouted  for  joy."  How  great  must  have  been  their  won- 
der, delight  and  rapture,  when  the  purpose  of  God  to  redeem 
ruined  men,  was  made  known  to  them  !  Though  a  different 
order  of  intelligent  beings,  they  feel  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  the  human  race.  The  repentance  of  one  sinner,  however 
obscure  his  situation,  and  however  lightly  he  may  be  esteemed 
by  his  fellow-creatures,  is  an  event  of  such  magnitude,  as  to 
occasion  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God.  But  their 
attention  is  not  directed  exclusively  to  the  happiness  of  the 
redeemed  ;  their  thoughts  dwell  on  the  wonders  of  the  forgiv- 
ing love  of  God. 

3.  This  world,  dark  as  it  is  by  reason  of  the  apostasy  of  the 
human  race,  by  the  forgiving  love  of  God  here  revealed,  is 
made  the  brightest  light  in  the  universe,  inconceivably  brighter 
than  the  natural   sun,   shining  with  meridian   splendor.      It 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  123 

increases  the  light  of  heaven,  and  makes  the  darkness  in  which 
the  wicked  dwell  more  terrible. 

The  glory  of  God's  holiness  is  a  higher  and  nobler  end  than 
the  happiness  of  the  universe.  This  was  the  end  he  had  in 
view  before  he  commenced  the  work  of  creation.  Men  of  the 
noblest  feelings  will  sooner  sacrifice  their  lives  than  their 
honor.  The  true  christian  will  sooner  submit  to  persecution, 
to  the  loss  of  his  property  and  life  than  his  good  name.  Many 
have  been  brought  to  the  trial,  and  have  chosen  rather  to  sufter 
a  martyr's  death  than  to  do  anything  inconsistent  with  their 
christian  character. 

4.  There  is  a  grandeur  and  comprehensiveness  in  the  means 
employed  for  the  redemption  of  men. 

When  it  appeared  in  the  counsels  of  heaven  that  no  created 
being  could  accomplish  the  work  of  redemption,  the  Son  of  God, 
the  second  person  in  the  ever  blessed  Trinity,  and  of  equal 
dignity  with  his  Father,  offered  to  undertake  it  and  his  offer 
was  accepted.  "  For  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  For  God  sent  not  his  Son 
into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world  ;  but  that  the  world 
through  him  might  be  saved."  (John  iii.  16,  17.)  The  Son  of 
God  had  in  view  the  glory  of  his  Father,  the  support  of  his 
government,  and  its  influence  on  holy  angels,  and  those  too 
who  apostatized,  and  on  the  millions  and  hundreds  of  millions 
of  the  human  race.  He  knew  how  he  should  be  treated  by 
those  whose  salvation  was  near  his  heart.  Though  glorious 
in  holiness,  and  infinitely  happy,  yet  he  so  tenderly  regarded 
the  honor  of  his  Father,  and  so  intense  was  his  love  of  the 
human  race,  that  he  left  the  most  delightful  place  in  the  uni- 
verse, divested  himself  of  the  glory  he  had  with  his  Father 


124  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  assumed  human  nature, 
that  he  might  by  his  obedience  and  death  satisfy  the  demands 
of  the  Divine  law,  and  effect  the  redemption  of  all  who  might 
trust  in  him. 

When  he  commenced  his  journey  to  this  rebellious  province 
of  his  Father's  empire,  the  object  to  be  accomplished  was  so 
glorious,  that  a  great  company  of  holy  angels  attended  him, 
as  ministering  spirits,  desirous  of  being  near  him,  that  they 
might  behold  his  wonderful  works.  An  angel  announced  his 
birth,  "and  suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of 
the  heavenly  host  praising  God,  and  saying,  Glory  to  God  in 
the  highest,  and_  on  earth  peace  and  good  will  toward  men." 
(Luke  ii.  14.) 

The  attention  of  holy  angels  and  wicked  spirits  is  constantly 
directed  to  the  habitations  of  men,  where  God  performs  his 
works  of  grace,  the  former  to  minister  to  the  church,  and  the 
latter  to  corrupt,  divide  and  trouble  the  professed  friends  of 
God. 

The  Son  of  God  being  a  Divine  person,  is  not  the  Saviour  of 
a  particular  nation,  but  he  is  the  Saviour  and  light  of  the 
world.  The  law  which  he  magnified  and  made  honorable  by 
his  obedience  and  death,  extends  to  all  mankind.  His  right- 
eousness is  sufficient  for  the  whole  human  race.  No  one  will 
perish  because  there  is  not  room  enough  in  heaven  for  him, 
nor  because  there  is  any  defect  in  the  atonement  made  by 
Jesus  Christ.  Great  beyond  description  is  the  work  Christ  has 
performed,  and  great  beyond  conception  were  the  sufterings  he 
endured  for  the  redemption  of  men.  This  interposition  for  lost 
men  is  the  wonder  of  holy  angels,  and  of  wicked  spirits.  It 
delights  the  former  but  distresses  the  latter.  It  is  and  ever 
will  be  the  wonder  of  saints  on  earth,  and  saints  in  heaven. 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  1.  125 

While  in  this  imperfect  state,  our  views  of  the  glory  of  God 
in  the  redemption  of  men  are  exceedingly  obscure  and  circum- 
scribed. "  We  see  spiritual  things  through  a  glass  darkly." 
*'  Now  I  know  in  part,"  said  the  apostle,  "  but  then  (referring  to 
a  future  state)  shall  I  know  even  as  I  am  known."  God 
makes  such  revelations  of  himself  as  are  necessary  for  us,  and 
as  in  our  weakness  we  are  able  to  bear.  Were  he  now  to 
give  us  such  a  view  of  his  glory  as  we  shall  have  hereafter, 
we  should  be  overpowered.  When  Moses  besought  the  Lord 
to  show  him  his  glory,  he  did  not,  probably,  correctly  under- 
stand the  import  of  his  request.  "  And  God  said,  I  will  make 
all  my  goodness  pass  before  thee,  and  I  will  be  gracious  to 
whom  I  will  be  gracious,  and  I  will  show  mercy  on  whom  I 
will  show  mercy.  And  he  said,  Thou  canst  not  see  my  face  ; 
for  there  shall  no  man  see  me  and  live.  And  the  Lord  said. 
There  is  a  place  by  me,  and  thou  shalt  stand  upon  a  rock  :  and 
it  shall  come  to  pass,  while  my  glory  passeth  by,  that  I  will  put 
thee  in  the  cleft  of  the  rock,  and  will  cover  thee  with  my  hand 
while  I  pass  by  ;  and  I  will  take  away  my  hand,  and  thou 
shalt  see  my  back  parts,  but  my  face  shall  not  be  seen."  (Ex. 
xxxiii.  19-23.)  Great  objects  and  boundless  scenes  are  con- 
stantly passing  before  the  mind  of  the  devout  christian,  com- 
pared with  which  the  objects  and  scenes  of  this  world  appear 
to  be  hardly  worthy  of  notice.  Nothing  so  enlarges  the  mind 
and  elevates  the  thoughts  as  the  contemplation  of  the  work  of 
redemption. 

The  work  of  redemption  is  as  much  more  magnificent  and 
glorious  than  the  work  of  creation,  as  the  perfections  of  God 
are  more  fully  and  gloriously  displayed  in  the  former  than  in 
the  latter.  The  price  paid  for  our  redemption  is  of  more  value 
than  all  the  gold  and  silver  of  the  world.     "  Forasmuch  as  ye 


126  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

know,"  said  the  apostle  Peter,  "  that  ye  were  not  redeemed 
with  corruptible  things,  such  as  silver  and  gold,  from  your 
vain  conversation,  received  by  tradition  from  your  fathers  ;  but 
with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish 
and  without  spot."  (1  Peter  i.  18, 19.)  When  we  withdraw 
our  thoughts  from  the  affairs  of  this  world  and  fix  them  on 
him  who  gave  his  life  to  redeem  us,  the  object  before  us 
appears  to  be  infinitely  great  and  glorious.  No  wonder  the 
apostle,  when  his  attention  was  directed  to  it,  could  think  and 
speak  of  nothing  else.  Nothing  else  when  compared  with  it, 
appeared  to  be  worthy  of  his  notice.  "  But  what  things  were 
gain  to  me,"  he  said,  "  I  counted  loss  for  Christ ;  yea,  doubt- 
less, I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  Christ  Jesus,  my  Lord,  for  whom  I  have  suffered  the 
loss  of  all  things,  and  do  count  them  of  no  value  that  I  may 
win  Christ."     (Phil.  iii.  8,  9.) 

5.  By  the  death  of  Christ,  our  substitute,  who  was  Himself 
holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate  from  sinners,  and  made 
higher  than  the  heavens,  we  obtain  the  most  correct  know- 
ledge of  our  demerit  as  transgressors  of  the  divine  law. 
Had  not  sinful  man  deserved  death,  God  would  not  have  per- 
mitted His  dearly  beloved  Son  to  die  in  His  stead.  None  can 
be  saved  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified,  who 
do  not  understand  and  feel  that  they  deserve  death. 

As  Christ  was  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  the  feelings  ex- 
pressed toward  him  were  expressed  toward  God,  Can  it  be 
doubted  that  those  who  crucified  Him,  would,  had  they  pos- 
sessed the  power,  have  subverted  the  government,  and  destroy- 
ed the  life  of  his  Father  ?  Had  the  Jews  been  convinced  that 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  true  Messiah,  they  might  have  been 
afraid  to  put  him  to  death.      But  the  restraints  of  fear  would 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  127 

not  have  changed  the  feelings  of  their  hearts.  All  who  per- 
severe in  unbelief  do,  in  their  hearts,  approve  of  the  conduct 
of  the  Jews,  otherwise  they  would  unite  with  the  followers  of 
Christ.  This  disposition  is  discovered  in  the  little  child  as 
soon  as  he  has  an  understanding  of  the  truths  of  Christianity. 
In  the  death  of  Christ  we  see  united  the  inflexible  justice  and 
abounding  mercy  of  God. 

The  redemption  of  man  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
him  crucified,  gives  us  the  most  affecting  and  transforming 
views  of  the  character  of  God,  and  of  the  glory  of  His  holiness. 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  is  declared  to  be  the  brightness  of  his 
Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  His  person.  By  him 
God  has  made  such  a  revelation  of  His  forgiving  love  as  could 
not  be  made  by  the  moral  law.  There  is  no  intimation  in  this 
law  of  the  forgiving  love  of  God.  The  visible  heavens  declare 
the  glory  of  God's  power,  and  wisdom  and  goodness  ;  but  give 
us  no  knowledge  of  His  mercy  to  lost  men.  The  language  of 
the  moral  law  is,  "  The  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die,  and  cursed 
is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  written  in  the 
book  of  the  law  to  do  them."  The  moral  law  is  a  trans- 
cript of  the  character  of  the  God  of  nature,  so  far  as  re- 
vealed to  our  first  parents  before  their  apostasy.  Christ  is  de- 
clared to  be  the  brightness  of  his  Father's  glory,  because  in 
him  are  united  mercy  and  truth,  righteousness  and  peace. 
Such  is  the  plan  adopted  for  the  redemption  of  men,  as  to  give 
additional  lustre  to  those  attributes  of  God,  which  were  dis- 
played in  the  work  of  creation,  and  as  to  make  such  revela- 
tions of  Himself  as  could  not  otherwise  be  made  to  intelligent, 
moral  beings.  It  maintains  all  the  rights  and  claims  of  God, 
and  offers  freely  eternal  life  to  all  who  believe  in  Christ.  How 
rich  the  grace  of  God  !     How  boundless  His  liberality  !     The 


128  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

more  intensely  we  meditate  on  the  doctrines  peculiar  to  Chris- 
tianity, the  more  precious  they  appear  to  us,  and  the  more  our 
hearts  are  affected.  When  we  meditate  only  for  a  short  time 
with  a  devotional  spirit  on  what  Christ  has  done  for  us,  our 
hearts  overflow  with  love  to  Him,  and  we  are  filled  with  won- 
der and  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory,  and  while  thus  em- 
ployed our  views  become  enlarged,  grand  and  sublime  objects 
pass  before  our  minds,  and  we  obtain  an  earnest  and  a  fore- 
taste of  that  inheritance  prepared  for  the  redeemed. 

No  event  recorded  in  the  history  of  the  world  is  so  import- 
ant, and  which  has  been  productive  of  so  much  good  as  the 
death  of  Christ.  He  gave  his  life  that  he  might  redeem  lost 
men  from  the  bondage  and  consequences  of  sin.  In  the  gift 
of  His  Son  to  sinners,  God  the  Father  has  made  it  manifest 
that  He  is  the  most  compassionate  Being  in  the  universe. 
How  unspeakable  the  gift  of  the  Son  of  God.  What  can  be 
more  dear  to  an  affectionate  parent  than  a  beloved  and  an  only 
son,  a  son  of  unblemished  character,  and  possessing  every  pos- 
sible excellence  ?  To  give  such  a  son  to  suffer,  the  innocent 
for  the  guilty,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  and  to  suffer  an  igno- 
minious and  cruel  death,  must  be  a  greater  proof  of  his  love 
and  mercy  than  to  give  all  his  possessions.  The  same  spirit 
influenced  the  Son  as  well  as  the  Father. 

No  one  can  read  the  history  of  God's  forgiving  love,  and  main- 
tain that  He  is  an  unfeeling  Sovereign.  When  His  beloved 
Son  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners.  He  did  not  spare  him.  When 
upon  the  cross,  and  more  than  ever  feeling  the  need  of  sup- 
port, his  Father  hid  His  face  from  him,  and  left  him  to  per- 
form alone  that  part,  without  the  accomplishment  of  which 
none  could  be  saved.  He  could  not  in  his  extremity  cry,  "  My 
Father,  my  Father,"  as  he  had  done,  but  onl}-^,  "  My  God,  my 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  129 

God,"  the  cry  of  a  malefactor  in  distress,  "  why  hast  thou  for- 
saken me  ?" 

It  is  the  preaching  of  Christ,  and  him  crucified,  which  gives 
to  the  hearer  not  only  the  clearest,  but  the  only  just  view  of 
the  divine  character.      It  also  produces  the  greatest  and  the 
most  excellent  results.      It  excites  no  worldly  hopes  or  fears. 
When  a  friend  dies  he  can  do  nothing  more  for  us,  and  when 
an  enemy  dies  we  can  fear  him  no  longer.    When  our  thoughts 
are  fastened  on  the  death  of  Christ,  who  died,  the  just  for  the 
unjust,  we  cannot  but  understand  and  feel  that  we  deserve 
death— that  God  will  execute  His  law  upon  all  impenitent 
transgressors,  and  that  salvation  is  to  be  obtained  only  by  a 
vital  union  to  His  Son.      That  submission,  which  is  produced 
by  selfish  hopes  or  fears,  is  of  no  value.      And  unless  we  love 
the  character  of  God  on  account  of  its  own  excellency,  inde- 
pendent of  any  hope  of  future  happiness,  or  fear  of  future 
misery,  our  love  cannot  be  pure,  and  such  as  God  can  approve. 
It  is  not,  however,  meant  that  love  of  God  does  not  always  pro- 
duce hope  of  future  happiness,  and  deliverance  from  the  fear 
of  future  misery.      We  are  never  so  happy  as  when  so  filled 
with  all  the  fullness  of  God  as  to  forget  ourselves,  and  to  think 
of  nothing  but  the  glory  of  God,  as  it  shines  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified. 

II.  The  relation  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified  sustains  to 
us  and  our  fellow-creatures,  or,  the  perfect  adaptation  of  the 
plan  of  redemption  to  the  wants  of  all  classes  of  men. 

Events,  which  interest  us,  but  which  others  think  unworthy 
of  their  notice,  may  so  powerfully  affect  our  minds,  as  to  ex- 
clude from  them  every  other  subject.  The  death  of  a  dear 
friend,  a  beloved  child,  a  husband,  or  a  wife,  affects  us  more 
than  the  slaughter  of  thousands  in  some  distant  part  of  the 


130  Seimon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

world.  Had  the  Son  of  God  interposed  for  the  salvation  of 
the  angels  that  sinned,  it  would  be  our  duty  to  rejoice  in  their 
redemption  and  restoration  to  the  favor  of  God.  There  is  joy, 
we  are  assured,  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God  over  one 
sinner  that  repenteth.  They,  though  a  different  order  of  be- 
ings, rejoice  in  the  happiness  of  the  human  race. 

That  God  should  pass  by  the  angels  that  sinned,  who  once 
dwelt  near  Him,  and  w^ho  had  faithfully  served  Him  for  an  un- 
known period,  and  that  He  should  send  into  this  world  His 
only  begotten  and  dearly  beloved  Son  to  redeem  an  inferior 
order  of  beings,  and  that  He  should  permit  him  to  suffer  death 
that  we  may  live,  is  indeed  wonderful.      Surely,  such  distin- 
guishing goodness  to  us  should  soften  our  hard  hearts,  and  lead 
us  to  repentance.     It  may  have  been  the  inquiry  of  the  angels 
that  sinned,  ever  since  they  knew  any  thing  of  the  work  of 
redemption,  "Why  did  God  pass  us  by  and  reserve  us  in  chains 
under  darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day,  and  exer- 
cise His  forgiving  love  to  the  human  race  ?     We  can  give  no 
answer  to  this  inquiry.     We  can  only  say,  Even  so  Father, 
for  so  it  hath  seemed  good  in  thy  sight.     Why,  too,  those  who 
have  died  in  pagan  lands — the  millions  and  hundreds  of  mil- 
lions who  have  perished  without  any  knowledge  of  the  way 
of  salvation  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified, 
why,  they  may  inquire,  %vas  not  the  gospel  made  known  to  us  ? 
Had  the  mighty  works  been  done  among  us,  they  may  say, 
which  have  been  done  in  Christian  lands,  we  should  have  re- 
pented, and   been   saved.      While  millions,  and   hundreds  of 
millions  remain  in  total  darkness  with  respect  to  the  redemp- 
tion of  men,  the  light  of  Christianity  shines  upon  us  with  un- 
clouded splendor.     That  God  should  leave  so  many  of  our  fel- 
low-creatures to  perish,  when  an  atonement  has  been  made 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  131 

sufficient  for  all  mankind,  and  furnish  us  so  richly  with  the 
means  of  grace,  is  a  proof  of  His  distinguishing  love. 

The  complete  success  of  the  scheme,  which  has  been  de- 
vised and  adopted  for  our  salvation,  must  interest  all  who  re- 
gard the  honor  of  God,  their  own,  and  the  happiness  of  their 
fellow-creatures  ;  and  who  compare  the  Christian  religion 
with  any  system  received  in  the  world.  Christianity  is  suited 
to  every  variety  of  case  as  well  as  person.  Jesus  Christ,  and 
him  crucified,  sustains  .  a  near  relation  to  all,  who  believe  in 
his  name.  They  are  vitally  united  to  him,  as  the  branch  to 
the  vine,  or  the  members  to  the  body.  Because  He  lives,  they 
will  live  also.  This  vital  union,  in  connexion  with  the  prom- 
ises of  God,  is  the  proper  foundation  of  their  hope  of  final  sal- 
vation. 

Great  changes  have  been  produced  in  individuals  and  in 
communities  by  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
cross.  Innumerable  are  the  ways  in  which  Christianity  im- 
proves the  condition  as  well  as  character  of  men.  It  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  know  while  we  are  in  this  world  how  many 
have  been,  or  will  be  saved  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 
The  number  of  the  redeemed  whom  John  in  vision  saw  in 
heaven  was  great.  "  And  I  beheld,"  said  John,  "  and  heard 
the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  the 
beasts  or  living  creatures,  and  the  elders,  and  the  number  of 
them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of 
thousands."  Since  John  had  this  vision  a  great  multitude  have 
been  converted  of  our  fellow-creatures,  and  very  many  of  the 
people  of  this  country.  How  immense  must  be  the  number  of 
our  fellow-creatures,  who  have  been  and  will  be  saved,  when  all 
the  promises  of  God  are  fulfilled — when  the  whole  earth  is  fill- 
ed with  the   knowledge  of  God  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea. 


132  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

Should  we  ascend  the  loftiest  mountain  on  earth,  the  circle 
bounded  by  the  utmost  limits  of  our  vision  would  not  be  suf- 
ficient to  contain  them.  But  there  is  room  enough  in  heaven, 
and  grace  enough  in  Christ  for  all,  who  desire  salvation 
through  faith  in  Him.  And  the  command  of  Christ  to  His 
apostles,  and  through  them  to  the  church  was,  after  his  resur- 
rection, when  all  national  distinctions  were  abolished,  "  Go 
ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture." 

The  most  extensive  diffusion  of  the  light  of  Christianity  by 
no  means  diminishes  its  power.  It  only  multiplies  lights, 
the  greater  the  number  of  which,  the  greater  is  the  light  of  the 
world.  Christ  is  abundantly  able  to  save  all  that  come  to 
Him  ;  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands,  as  well  as  individuals. 
No  one  that  did  come  was  rejected. 

What  other  physician  was  ever  known  able  to  heal  all 
manner  of  diseases  ?  What  other  philanthropist  was  ever  able 
to  deliver  the  poor  and  wretched  from  the  slavery  of  Satan  ? 
In  view  of  the  cross  of  Christ  we  may  adopt  the  triumphant 
language  of  the  apostle  :  "  Where  is  the  wise  ?  where  is  the 
scribe  ?  where  is  the  disputer  of  this  world  ?  hath  not  God 
made  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world  ?  For  after  that  in  the 
wisdom  of  God,  the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God,  it 
pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching,  to  save  them  that 
believe."  But  the  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  men,  and 
the  weakness  of  God  is  stronger  than  men.  Greater  power  is 
displayed  in  the  deliverance  of  a  single  individual  from  the 
bondage  of  sin  than  can  be  exerted  by  the  combined  forces  of 
the  whole  human  race.  And  the  salvation  of  a  single  indi- 
vidual is  a  greater  good  than  the  sum  of  all  the  temporal  good 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  133 

that  ever  has  been,  or  ever  will  be  enjoyed.      The    happiness 
of  the  redeemed  will  forever  increase. 

Those,  supposed  to  be  converts,  who  have   no  consistent 
views  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified,  seldom,  if  ever,  long 
continue   to   give   any  satisfactory  evidence   of  being   truly 
•reconciled  to  God.     They  may  have  experienced  great  changes 
—may  have  passed  from  a  state  of  deep  distress   to  a  state  of 
great  joy ;  but  may  not  be  vitally  united  to  Christ.      Many 
changes  are  experienced,  which  are  not  saving.      No   matter 
how  great  they  are,  and  how  much  joy  they  produce,  if  they 
do  not  result  in  a  cordial  union  with  Christ,  they  are  decep- 
tive,  and  of  no  value.      There  have  been  not  a  few,  who 
during  some  modern  revivals,  have  been  pronounced  converts, 
but  who  after  the  excitement  has  subsided,  have  manifested 
more  opposition  than  ever  to  the  distinguishing  doctrines  of 
Christianity.      Unless   the  doctrines  of  the   cross   are   made 
prominent  in  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  hopes  will  be  indulged 
without   any  radical   change   of  heart,  and  revivals  will   be 
spurious.      It  was  a  view  of  the  wonderful,  happy,  and  per- 
manent effects  produced  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  ope- 
rating in    connection  with  the  preaching  of  Christ,  and  him 
crucified,  which  filled  the  mind  of  the  apostle  with  admiration 
of  the  plan  devised  and  adopted  for  the  redemption  of  men. 
What  can  produce  in  the  heart  of  every  one  such  a  thrill  of 
joy  as  evidence  that  he  is  vitally  united  to  Christ,  and  one  with 
him  ?      And  what  so  much  delights  pious  parents  as  evidence 
that  their  children  are  truly  converted  to  God  through  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified?      The   possession  of  great 
worldly  riches  is  not  to  be  compared  with  the  possession  of  a 
good  hope  of  salvation.      The  humblest  Christian,  who  dwells 
m  obscurity,  but  who  enjoys  fellowship  with  his  Redeemer, 


134  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

would  not  exchange  situations  with  the  most  opulent  prince 
in  the  world,  who  has  no  good  hope  beyond  the  grave. 

The  distinguishing  goodness  of  God  to  us,  who  dwell  in  this 
Christian  land,  where  we  have  witnessed  among  our  own 
friends  and  acquaintance  the  mighty  changes  produced  by  the 
operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  a  subject  on  which  we  cannot 
meditate  without  perceiving  our  hearts  overflow  with  grati- 
tude to  Him,  who  has  brought  salvation  near  to  every  one  of 
us.  And,  brethren,  if  we  have  ourselves  been  renewed,  how 
great  must  be  our  obligations  to  Him,  and  how  intensely  ought 
we  to  love  Him,  who  has  thus  made  us  to  differ  from  others, 
no  more  guilty  and  deserving  of  His  wrath  than  ourselves? 

III.  Redemption  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  cru- 
cified, is  a  subject  which  appears  to  be  always  new  to  those 
Christians  and  divines  who  have  made  the  greatest  attain- 
ment in  holiness.  It  can  never  be  exhausted.  The  knowledge 
of  it  which  the  most  eminent  divine  obtains  while  in  this  life 
is  very  limited  compared  with  what  may  be  known.  It  is  a 
remarkable  fact  that  those  who  are  most  distinguished  for  piety, 
dwell  most  on  the  doctrines  of  the  cross,  and  give  the  most  sat- 
isfactory evidence  that  their  hearts  are  aflected.  When  they 
pray,  exhort,  or  reprove,  they  speak  from  their  heart.  The 
piety  is  of  a  doubtful  character  of  those  preachers  who  dwell 
almost  exclusively  on  the  attributes  and  government  of  God, 
the  God  of  nature,  nnd  seldom  make  the  doctrines  of  the  cross 
the  subjects  of  their  meditations  and  discourses. 

Those  divines  most  distinguished  for  their  talents,  learning, 
and  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  at  the  close  of  a  long  life 
devoted  to  the  service  of  God,  have  not  hesitated  to  acknow- 
ledge that  they  have  never  ceased  to  discover  new  beauties  in 
the  character  of  their  Redeemer,  and  in  the  plan  adopted  for 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  135 

our  deliverance  from  the  power  of  sin,  and  restoration  to  the 
favor  of  God.  As  the  work  of  sanctification  progresses,  and 
they  pass  from  one  degree  of  grace  to  another,  new  views  of 
the  plan  and  work  of  redemption  are  presented  to  their  minds, 
and  new  fields  of  contemplation  are  discovered.  The  time 
will  never  come,  while  we  are  in  this  world,  and  the  point  in 
duration  will  never  be  reached  in  eternity,  when  we  shall 
know  all  that  may  be  known  of  the  redemption  of  men  through 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  How  limited,  then,  must  be  the  know- 
ledge acquired  in  this  life,  compared  with  the  attainments 
which  will  be  made  in  the  future  state  ! 

Much  sin  remains  in  the  heart  of  every  Christian,  which 
darkens  his  understanding,  and  exposes  him  to  the  influence 
of  errors,  which  appear  to  favor  the  rapid  progress  of  the 
church.  The  great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  not  far  probably 
from  twenty  years  after  his  conversion  did  not  hesitate  to  con- 
fess that  he  had  still  to  struggle  with  indwelling  sin.  "  For  that 
which  I  do,"  he  said,  "  I  allow  not :  for  what  I  would  that  I  do 
not ;  but  what  I  hate  that  do  I.  For  the  good  that  I  would  I 
do  not ;  but  the  evil  which  I  would  not,  that  I  do."  (Rom.  vii. 
15,  19.) 

Though  there  is  some  variety  in  the  intellectual  powers  of 
men — some  variety  in  their  education,  and  in  the  circumstan- 
ces of  their  life,  as  there  is  no  change  in  the  word  and  Spirit 
of  God,  the  leading  features  of  their  religious  experience  must 
be  the  same.  The  experience  of  every  Christian  seems  to  be 
a  series  of  conversions.  Every  new  change  enlarges  his  views 
of  the  plan  and  work  of  redemption,  and  gives  him  deeper  views 
of  the  demerit  of  sin,  and  of  the  depravity  of  his  heart.  In 
passing  from  one  degree  of  grace  to  another,  it  seems  to  the 
Christian  that  his  past  attainments  are  of  but  little  value. 


130  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

Scientific  men,  possessed  of  strong  powers  of  mind  and  of  ex- 
tensive learning,  after  pursuing  their  studies  with  great  dili- 
gence for  many  years,  are  ready  to  confess  that  the  field  of 
investigation  appears  to  be  wider  than  ever.  Indeed,  it  is  im- 
possible during  the  longest  life  to  learn  all  that  may  be  known 
of  the  works  of  creation.  Every  successive  year  furnishes 
some  new  chapter  in  the  history  of  the  works  of  creation. 
The  philosopher  and  the  naturalist  are  constantly  discovering 
novelties  in  the  productions  of  nature.  The  laws  of  nature, 
and  their  various  combinations  are  very  imperfectly  under- 
stood. 

But  the  work  of  redemption  far  exceeds  the  work  of  creation 
in  grandeur  and  comprehensiveness  of  design,  mode  of  accom- 
plishment, and  excellence  of  results.  The  objects  of  this  visi- 
ble world  are  insignificant,  compared  with  those  which  vi'ill 
rise  before  us,  when  eternal  scenes  will  be  disclosed. 

No  two  chapters,  either  in  the  history  of  the  church  of  God 
or  in  the  history  of  any  nation,  are  exactly  alike.  As  the 
circumstances  which  afl^ect  the  operations  of  any  church 
vary  in  diflerent  periods,  and  in  difierent  countries,  so  we  ob- 
tain new  views  of  the  work  of  grace,  and  of  the  movements  of 
Christians  every  successive  year.  The  labors  of  the  church 
and  the  works  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  new  every  day.  Holy 
angels  are  constantly  observing  all  our  conduct,  and  feel  in- 
terested in  every  new  case  of  repentance.  They  are  no  doubt 
delighted  when  they  witness  the  display  of  God's  power  in  re- 
viving His  work,  and  in  making  additions  to  the  number  of 
the  followers  of  His  beloved  Son. 

When  Christians  are  most  thoroughly  roused  from  their 
slumbers  ;  when  all  their  powers  are  exercised  to  the  highest 
degree,  and  they  meditate  most  intensely  on  the  forgiving  love 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  137 

of  God,  manifested  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  him  cru- 
cified, then  they  most  rapidly  increase  in  knowledge — then 
new  wonders  in  quick  succession  pass  before  them.  When 
professing  Christians  discover  nothing  new  in  the  volume  of 
revelation,  and  the  Scriptures  cease  to  interest  them,  the  evi- 
dence is  strong,  either  that  they  are  not  what  they  profess  to 
be,  or  that  they  have  neglected  those  duties,  on  the  faithful 
performance  of  which  depends  their  growth  in  grace.  Unless 
the  Scriptures  appear  to  those  who  minister  in  holy  things,  to 
possess  the  charms  of  holy  and  spiritual  novelty,  their  discour- 
ses will  be  uninteresting,  and  their  prayers  will  be  heartless. 

When  men  of  intelligence  have  read  once  or  twice  the  pub- 
lications of  the  most  celebrated  and  learned  authors,  they  lay 
them  aside  as  no  longer  interesting  from  their  novelty.  It  is 
far  otherwise  with  that  Book,  of  which  God  is  the  author.  It 
is  itself  a  library,  containing  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  the 
most  precious  truths.  While  diligently  studying  the  Scrip- 
tures, new  thoughts  are  constantly  suggested  to  the  mind, 
which  fill  it  with  delight  and  rapture.  When  the  redemption 
of  men  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified  is  the 
subject  of  our  meditations,  the  field  of  contemplation  appears 
to  be  boundless — the  farther  we  proceed  in  it  the  more  mag- 
nificent are  the  objects  we  behold — the  more  sublime  the 
scenes  which  pass  before  us,  the  more  holy  and  elevated  are 
our  affections,  the  more  ardent  our  desires,  the  more  honora- 
ble our  purposes,  the  higher  our  joys,  and  the  more  com- 
pletely our  souls  are  filled  with  all  the  fullness  of  God. 

REFLECTIONS. 

From  the  view  we  have  taken  of  the  subject  under  conside- 
ration it  is   manifest  that  the  truths  peculiar  to  Christian- 


138  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

ity  ought  to  be  made  prominent  in  the  discourses  of  everj'- 
preacher,  and  also  in  the  meditations  of  every  hearer.  They 
ought  to  occupy  the  thoughts  of  every  one  who  is  anxious 
to  obtain  salvation. 

Few  are  perhaps  aware  that  a  man  may  preach  many 
years,  be  very  eloquent,  operate  powerfully  on  the  feelings  of 
his  hearers,  take  his  subjects  from  the  Scriptures,  and  even 
from  the  New  Testament,  and  may  not  express  a  sentiment  to 
which  the  Pelagian,  the  Unitarian  or  infidel  can  have  any 
objection. 

The  serious  infidel  can  have  no  objection  to  discourses  on 
the  natural  attributes  of  God — his  power,  wisdom,  goodness, 
omnipresence,  and  immutability.  He  can  have  no  objection 
to  discourses  on  the  providence  of  God,  or  on  His  government, 
if  Christianity  occupy  no  place  in  it.  He  can  have  no  objection 
to  discourses  on  the  precepts  of  the  moral  law,  which  is  the  law 
of  nature,  written  in  the  hearts  of  all  men,  and  discoverable  by 
the  light  of  reason.  This  law  extends  through  the  whole  vol- 
ume of  revelation.  Christianity  contains  it ;  but  the  latter 
does  not  contain  the  former.  The  infidel  may  admit  that  men 
are  sinners,  and  as  life  is  uncertain,  that  they  ought  to  re- 
pent immediately.  When  meditating  on  the  condition  of 
great  transgressors,  his  sympathies  may  be  excited,  he  may 
endeavor  to  alarm  them  by  dwelling  on  the  penalty  of  the 
Divine  law,  and  may  with  power  of  argument  urge  them  with- 
out delay  to  submit  to  God.  This  the  infidel  may  do,  and  not 
even  mention  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  him  crucified. 

He  may  dwell  on  the  reasonableness  of  the  duties  he  urges 
his  hearers  to  perform,  making  this,  their  reasonableness,  and 
not  the  command  or  testimony  of  God,  the   ground  of  their 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  139 

obligation.  Not  a  few  contend  that  they  are  not  under  obli- 
gation to  receive  any  doctrine  unless  it  can  be  made  to  ap- 
pear to  them  reasonable.  They  do  not  admit  the  depravity 
of  their  heart,  which  must  be  renewed,  otherwise  the  doctrines 
peculiar  to  Christianity  will  never  appear  to  be  agreeable  to 
their  reason.  Their  reason  may  be  exercised  in  ascertaining 
what  God  has  revealed,  and  in  receiving  his  testimony.  But 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  are  foolishness  to  the  unrenewed.  If 
the  doctrines  of  Christianity  can  be  so  explained  as  to  appear 
reasonable  to  the  unrenewed,  they  cannot  need  any  radical 
change. 

Many  subjects  may  be  taken  from  the  New  Testament, 
which  relate  to  the  perfect  example  of  Christ,  which  are  moral; 
and  beautiful  discourses  may  be  delivered,  abounding  with 
elegant  extracts  from  the  published  writings  of  men  of  genius, 
without  admitting  the  necessity  of  the  imputed  righteousness 
of  Christ  as  the  only  foundation  of  a  good  hope  of  salvation. 
Who  that  has  any  respect  for  sacred  history  will  deny  that  there 
was  such  a  person  in  Judea  as  Jesus  Christ — that  he  was  born 
at  the  time  and  place  mentioned — that  he  performed  many 
wonderful  works — that  he  sustained  an  unblemished  charac- 
ter, and  that  he  suffered  death  on  the  cross  ?  Many  facts  in- 
terwoven with  the  history  of  his  nativity — his  ministry--his 
sufferings,  and  his  resurrection,  the  Unitarian  or  infidel  may 
admit.  But  the  infidel  and  Unitarian  believe  that  he  was  a 
mere  man,  like  Plato  or  Socrates,  or  any  other  distinguished 
moralist.     They  believe  that  his  death  was  that  of  a  martyr. 

There  are  some  general  views  of  the  decrees  and  sove- 
reignty of  God,  to  which  neither  infidels  nor  Unitarians  can 
have  any  objection.  No  people  more  firmly  believe  than  the 
Mahometans  the  doctrine  of  predestination.     Around  us  are 


140  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

many  illustrations  of  Divine  sovereignty.  We  see  one  rich, 
another  poor — one  sick,  another  in  the  enjoyment  of  health — 
one  dies  in  youth,  another  in  the  midst  of  life,  and  another 
lives  to  a  good  old  age.  The  ship  of  one  merchant  returns 
with  a  valuable  cargo,  that  of  another  is  lost.  The  general 
doctrine  of  election  is  only  a  branch  or  particular  view  of  the 
doctrine  of  Divine  decrees.  It  is  no  proof  that  a  man  is  a 
Christian  because  he  believes  or  preaches  these  doctrines. 

A  man  may  be  an  infidel  at  heart,  and  may  so  preach  as  to 
be  instrumental  of  producing  a  great  excitement — may  per- 
suade many  to  submit  to  God,  and  may  acquire  the  reputation 
of  a  great  revival  preacher.  It  is  one  thing  to  submit  to  God 
as  a  Being  of  superior  power,  and  another  to  submit  to  Him 
as  a  Being  of  infinite  holiness  and  excellence,  who  will  not  be 
approached  by  any  of  us  except  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ 
and  him  crucified.  The  unrenewed,  when  alarmed  and  excited 
to  a  high  degree,  if  assured  that  they  have  full  ability  to  do  all 
that  is  required  of  them — that  no  radical  change  is  necessary, 
may  submit  to  God  as  a  Being  infinitely  superior,  and  may  be 
pronounced  converts,  without  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  They  might 
be  infidels  before  their  conversion,  and  may  be  infidels  still. 
There  is,  we  know,  a  great  variety  of  truths  in  the  volume  of 
revelation,  which  are  not  peculiar  to  Christianity. 

2.  However  great  the  external  reformation  of  an  individual 
— however  zealous  he  may  be  in  his  endeavors  to  suppress 
vice,  and  to  promote  the  general  cause  of  benevolence  and  of 
religion,  if  he  do  not  receive  Christ  in  all  his  ofiices,  his  hope 
can  be  of  no  value.  Christianity  is  a  system  of  truths,  none 
of  which  are  discoverable  by  the  light  of  reason.  They  must 
be  received  on  the  testimony  of  God,  and  not  on  the  ground  of 
their  apparent  reasonableness  to  the  natural   man.      They 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  141 

must  be  clearly  exhibited  to  the  minds  of  men,  or  they  cannot 
become  Christians,  though  they  may  be  powerfully  affected, 
and  pass  from  a  state  of  deep  distress  to  a  state  of  peace  and 
great  joy.  The  human  mind  cannot  endure  for  a  long  time  a 
high  degree  of  excitement.  When  it  subsides,  the  quietude 
which  is  experienced  is  often  believed  to  be  a  proof  of  con- 
version. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  those  whose  conversion  has 
been  described,  are  of  all  men  most  opposed  to  the  peculiar 
doctrines  of  Christianity.  When  Jesus  said  to  the  multi- 
tudes that  followed  Him,  "  Therefore  said  I  unto  you,  that  no 
man  can  come  unto  me,  except  it  were  given  to  him  of  my 
Father,  many  were  offended.  From  that  time  many  of  His 
disciples,  not  of  the  twelve,  went  back  and  walked  no  more 
with  Him."  Those,  who  from  imperfect  views  of  Christianity, 
indulge  a  hope  of  salvation,  and,  for  a  time,  manifest  great 
zeal  in  the  cause  of  religion,  may,  when  the  whole  truth  is 
exhibited,  become  its  most  bitter  enemies.  Many  such  facts 
have  been  known. 

3.  Permit  me,  brethren,  to  make  the  inquiry,  are  not  many 
discourses  delivered  in  which  the  doctrines  of  the  cross  are 
not  made  sufficiently  prominent?  The  law  ought,  indeed,  to 
be  faithfully  presented  to  the  minds  of  men  in  all  its  extent 
and  spirituality.  They  should  be  made  to  feel  their  obliga- 
tion to  be  perfectly  holy.  For,  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge 
of  sin.  No  one  will  or  can  come  to  Christ  till  cut  off  from  all 
dependence  on  the  law  as  a  covenant  of  works.  Gal.  ii.  19, 
20,  "  For  I  through  the  law,"  said  the  apostle,  "  am  dead  to  the 
law  that  I  might  live  unto  God.  I  am  crucified  with  Christ, 
nevertheless  I  live  ;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me  :  and 
the  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the 


142  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me."  The 
apostle  was  desirous  that  the  impression  made  on  the  minds 
of  his  hearers  should  correspond  with  his  own  feelings  and  ex- 
perience. 

It  requires  great  decision  and  moral  courage  at  the  present 
day  to  enable  preachers  to  confine  themselves  to  their  appro- 
priate work.  They  must  do  this,  or  fail  of  accomplishing  the 
great  object  of  the  Christian  ministry.  How  often  has  the 
pulpit  been  desecrated  by  unconverted,  and  perhaps  infidel 
lecturers ! 

The  recollection  of  the  amusing  anecdotes  of  such  persons, 
introduced  to  render  their  performances  acceptable  to  the 
multitude,  renders  almost  powerless  the  messages  of  God 
deliv^ered  in  the  same  place. 

Our  dependence  for  success  must  be  on  God.  Duty  is  ours, 
events  are  the  Lord's.  All  endeavors  to  increase  the  number 
of  converts  by  accommodating  Christianity  to  the  laws  of 
human,  unsanctified  reason,  is  ruinous  to  the  souls  of  men. 
There  is  solemnity  and  power  in  those  discourses  which  make 
God  prominent.  It  is  surely  unreasonable  to  reject  doctrines 
clearly  revealed,  if  they  do  not  appear  reasonable  to  us. 
We  cannot  by  searching  find  out  God  ;  we  cannot  know 
all  the  reasons  which  influence  his  decisions.  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,"  is  a  better  reason  and  a  better  argument,  and  makes  a 
deeper  and  more  lasting  inpression  on  the  minds  of  men,  than 
Thus  saith  the  most  learned  philosopher  or  divine.  The  more 
unreservedly  we  trust  in  God,  the  more  he  will  be  disposed  to 
bless  us. 

4.  Those  doctrines  which  are  best  suited  to  produce  sound 
conversions,  are  also  best  suited  to  promote  the  piety  of  chris- 
tians.    It  is  a  fact  that  those  churches  which  are  favored  with 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2.  143 

a  ministry  which  give  prominence  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
cross,  are  most  spiritual.  They  are  not  often  found  stupid 
or  sleeping.  They  are  either  rejoicing  in  the  presence  of  the 
Spirit,  or  mourning  his  departure.  They  can  hardly  hear  the 
name  of  Christ  crucified  pronounced,  without  perceiving  a 
movement  of  their  feelings.  They  are  the  most  liberal  in  the 
promotion  of  every  enterprise,  the  object  of  which  is  either  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel  in  heathen  lands,  or  the  diffusion  of 
Scripture  knowledge  in  their  own  land.  They  are  bold  and 
decided  in  contending  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints. 
The  more  intense  their  love  of  Christ,  the  more  they  love  the 
doctrines  peculiar  to  Christianity,  and  the  more  they  are  grieved 
when  they  are  perverted,  modified,  or  excluded  from  the 
preached  word.  Nothing  delights  them  so  much  as  to  behold 
the  changes  produced  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  accom- 
panying the  plain  exhibitions  of  the  doctrines  of  the  cross. 

5.  It  may  be  remarked  that  the  fact  of  the  death  of  Christ 
as  our  substitute,  who  stood  in  the  room  of  sinners,  and  to 
which  the  whole  volume  of  revelation  has  reference,  affords 
the  most  convincing  proof  that  all  who  persevere  in  unbelief 
must  perish.  Particular  passages  of  Scripture  which  prove 
the  doctrine  of  future  punishment,  may  be  perverted  by 
learned  men.  But  the  fact  of  the  death  of  Christ  cannot  be 
questioned.  It  is  evident  from  the  Scriptures  that  Christ  did 
not  suff"er  on  account  of  any  fault  of  his  own— that  he  died,  the 
just  for  the  unjust,  and  that  he  suff"ered  death  that  those  who 
deserve  death  may  through  faith  in  him  obtain  everlasting 
life.  The  argument  is  conclusive.  If  God  spared  not  his  only 
begotten  and  dearly  beloved  Son,  the  brightness  of  his  glory, 
and  the  express  image  of  his  person,  when  he  stood  in  the  room 
of  sinners ;  how  can  any  expect  that  he  will  spare  them  if 


144  Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

they  refuse  to  accept  the  offers  of  salvation  through  faith  in 
him  ?  If  it  be  not  necessary  for  God  to  execute  the  penalty  of 
his  law,  he  surely  would  not  have  permitted  his  beloved  Son 
to  suffer  death  to  effect  the  redemption  of  men. 

It  is  too  manifest  to  be  questioned,  that  God  is  determined 
to  execute  his  law,  and  to  punish  with  awful  severity  all  who 
persevere  in  impenitence  and  unbelief. 

Can  you,  my  brethren,  meditate  on  the  great  price  paid  for 
your  redemption,  and  not  perceive  your  affections  flow  out  to 
him,  who  though  rich,  became  poor  for  your  sakes,  and  who, 
though  the  only  and  eternally  begotten  Son  of  God,  gave  his 
life  to  save  you  ?  Let  your  thoughts  be  fixed  on  him,  if  you 
would  experience  a  foretaste  of  that  happiness  prepared  for 
all  the  redeemed.  The  more  perfectly  you  understand  and  the 
more  ardently  you  love  the  doctrines  of  the  cross,  the  less  you 
will  be  disposed  to  speak,  to  think  or  to  hear  of  anything  else. 

If  there  be  any  present  still  unrenewed,  let  me  persuade  you 
to  fix  your  thoughts  on  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified.  Why, 
think  you,  did  he  suffer  death?  He  was  holy,  harmless,  unde- 
filed  and  separate  from  sinners.  Do  you  say  God  is  so  merci- 
ful that  he  will  not  punish  you,  if  you  do  not  believe  in  his 
Son  ?  But  merciful  as  he  is,  when  his  Son  took  the  place  of 
sinners,  and  most  needed  some  expression  of  his  love,  he  hid  his 
face  from  him  and  left  him  to  suffer  alone  the  penalty  of  his 
law.  How  can  you  escape  if  you  neglect  so  great  salvation  ? 
Christ,  by  his  Spirit,  is  now  near  you.  You  need  not  leave 
your  seats  to  find  him.  "And  him  that  cometh  unto  me,"  he 
said,  "  1  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  Be  persuaded  to  come  to 
him  without  delay.  "Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time; 
behold  now  is  the  day  of  salvation  !" 

The  present  opportunity  will  soon  be  past,  and  past  forever. 


Sermon  on  1  Corinthians  ii.  1.  145 

To-morrow  it  may  be  too  late.  To-morrow,  sinner,  you  may 
be  in  eternity.  If  not,  the  Holy  Spirit  may  cease  to  strive 
with  you,  and  may  never  return  to  you  again.  What 
more  can  the  preacher  do  than  point  out  the  way  of  sal- 
vation, and  press  you  to  pursue  it  ?  The  most  essential  truths 
of  Christianity  have  been  plainly  declared,  and  without  any 
modification.  It  remains  for  you  cordially  to  receive  them,  if 
you  would  escape  the  wrath  of  an  angry  God.  If  you  reject 
them  you  will  be  guilty  of  that  suicide,  where  more  than  blood 
is  spilt.  May  God,  who  is  mighty  in  power  and  rich  in  grace, 
make  his  word  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  us  all.      Amen. 


THE  UNCTION  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 


1  JOHN  11.  27. 


"  But  the  anointing  -which  ye  have  received  of  Him  abideth  in  you,  and 
ye  need  not  that  any  man  teach  you ;  but  as  the  same  anointing  teacheth 
you  of  all  things,  and  is  truth  and  is  no  lie,  and  as  it  hath  taught  you,  ye 
shall  abide  in  Him." 

The  anointing  with  precious  ointment  the  priests  under  the 
former  dispensation,  was  a  visible  sign  of  their  consecration 
to  the  service  of  God.    (Ex.  xl.  15.)    Their  anointing  was  tj^p- 
ical  of  the  anointing  or  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  under  the 
present  dispensation.     Kings  were  anointed  as  well  as  priests. 
Saul  and  David  were  anointed  when  called  of  God  to  reign 
over  the  tribes  of  Israel.     The  anointing  of  priests  and  kings 
was  typical  of  the  anointing  of  Him  who  is  both  our  great 
High  Priest  and  Lord.     The  6th  verse  of  the  2d  Psalm  might 
be  rendered  according  to  the  original.     "  Yet  have  anointed 
my  king  upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion."     The  meaning  is,  I  have 
firmly  established  my  king  upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion.     The 
Psalm  is  a  remarkable  prediction  of  Christ,  the  firm  establish- 
ment of  his  kingdom  in  the  world,  the  opposition  to  it  of  the 
kings  and  rulers  of  the  earth,  and  his  final  triumph  over  all 
his  enemies.     In  the  61st  chapter  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah, 
we  find  a  remarkable  prediction  of  the  anointing  of  Jesus 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.     The  following  is  the  prediction.     (Isa. 
Ixi.  1,  2.)     "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  He 
hath  anointed  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor;  he  hath 
sent  me  to  heal  the  broken-hearted,  to  preach  deliverance  to 


Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27.  I47 

the  captives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set  at  lib- 
erty them  that  are  bound.     To  preach  the  acceptable  year  of 
the  Lord."    (Luke  iv.  18,  19.)    When  in  the  synagogue  of  Naz- 
areth, he  said,  "  This  day  is  this  scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears." 
The  effect  was  immediately  noticed  by  those  who  heard  him 
speak.     And  all  bear  him  witness,  and  wondered  at  the  gra- 
cious words  which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth.     When  he  was 
baptized,  the  heaven  was  opened,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended 
in  a  bodily  shape  like  a  dove  upon  him,  and  a  voice  came  from 
heaven,  which  said,  "  Thou  art  my  beloved  Son,  in  thee  I  am 
well  pleased."    (Luke  iii.  22.)    The  visible  dispensation  contin- 
ued  till  the  resurrection  of  Christ.     The  harmless  dove  was  a 
beautiful  emblem  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  of  the  spirit  of  Christ. 
Now,  as  Christ  was  anointed  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  when  he 
was  qualified  for  the  ofiices  he  was  appointed  by  his  Father  to 
execute ;  so  all,  who  are   effectually  called  to  be  saints,  are 
anointed  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  those  who  are  called  to 
minister  in  holy  things  receive  a  double  portion  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.     That  all  called  to  be  saints  are  anointed,  is  manifest 
from  the  text  and  from  other  passages.      But  ye  have  an 
unction  from  the  Holy  One,  and  ye  know  all  things.     2  Cor. 
1.20,  21,  "Now  He  which  ■  stablisheth  us  with  you  in  Christ 
and  hath  anointed  us  is  God ;  who  also  hath  sealed   us,  and 
given  us  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts."     "  Now  if 
any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,"  said  the  Apostle  Paul 
to  the  Romans,  "  he  is  none  of  his."     (Rom.  viii.  9.)     Now,  if 
every  one  who  has  been  called  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  a 
saint,  has  been   anointed  with  the   same   Holy  Spirit  with 
which  Christ  was  anointed,  it  becomes  our  important  inquiry, 
how  shall   we   know  whether  we   have   been   anointed,  or 
whether  we  have  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  us  ?     "  Of  his 


148  Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27. 

fulness,"  said  John,  *' have  we  all  received  grace  for  grace." 
(i.  26.) 

1.  All  Christians  have  been  born  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  "Ex- 
cept a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter 
the  kingdom  of  God.  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh, 
and  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit."     (John  iii.  5,  6.) 

That  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  holy ;  and  it  possesses 
all  the  powers  of  a  new  creature.  It  is  a  new  creature — a 
new  man — called  also  the  inner  man.  That  which  is  born  of 
the  Spirit  is  united  in  this  life  with  that  which  is  born  of  the 
flesh — called  the  old  man,  and  outer  man.  Though  we  are 
assured  that  they  are  thus  united,  yet  we  cannot  fully  under- 
stand and  describe  their  union.  A  struggle  and  a  warfare 
commence  as  soon  as  any  one  is  born  of  the  Spirit ;  the  flesh 
lusting  against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh. 

Now,  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  at  first  but  a  babe, 
whose  powers  are  feeble  ;  but  it  is  immortal.  As  its  nature 
is  perfectly  holy,  it  cannot  sin ;  i.  e.  sin  never  originates  in 
the  new  holy  nature.  The  Apostle  John,  in  the  following 
passage,  had  reference  to  this  new  creature,  this  hol}'^  nature. 
"Whosoever  is  born  of  God  doth  not  commit  sin  ;  for  his  seed 
remaineth  in  him ;  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is  born  of 
God."     (John  i.  3,  9.) 

The  Apostle  Paul  had  reference  to  his  new  nature,  or  that 
which  was  born  of  the  Spirit,  in  the  following  passage.  "  For 
I  know  that  in  me  (that  is  in  my  flesh)  dwelleth  no  good 
thing :  for  to  will  is  present  with  me  ;  but  how  to  perform 
that  which  is  good  I  find  not.  For  tiie  good  that  I  would,  I 
do  not ;  but  the  evil  which  I  would  not,  that  I  do.  Now,  if  I 
do  that  I  would  not,  it  is  no  more  1  that  do  it,  but  sin  that 


Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27.  149 

dwelleth  in  me."  The  language  of  the  Apostle  in  the  passage 
quoted,  is  the  language  of  the  new  man,  the  anointed — the 
Christian.  The  very  name,  Christ,  signifies  anointed — and 
the  name  Christian  signifies  anointed.  The  new  man  is  a 
subject  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ ;  bound  to  obey  his  laws,  and 
to  look  to  him  for  protection,  and  for  covenant  blessings. 

It  may  also  be  observed,  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  con- 
tinually increases  in  strength  to  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body. 
"  And  we  know,"  said  the  Apostle,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Romans, 
"  that  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God, 
to  them  that  are  called  according  to  his  purpose."  (viii.  28.) 
Grace  in  the  heart  may  very  justly  be  compared  with  a  little 
leaven,  which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of 
meal  till  the  whole  was  leavened.  That  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit  continues  to  increase  in  power  till  he  breaks  the  cords 
which  bind  him  to  the  flesh,  and  he  leaves  the  earth,  to  dwell 
forever  near  his  Redeemer.  Even  the  imperfections  of  Chris- 
tians, when  they  review  any  portion  of  their  life,  lead  them  to 
humble  themselves,  and  to  make  them  feel  their  dependence 
on  God. 

2.  The  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit  consists  in  the  commu- 
nication of  Divine  grace  to  the  christian.  The  very  com- 
mencement of  the  christian  life,  is  the  effect  of  the  supernatu- 
ral operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  also  the  anointing  is 
supernatural.  Here  it  may  be  observed,  the  anointing  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  given  to  different  persons  in  different  measures. 
Many,  whose  views  of  the  plan  of  redemption  are  clear,  expe- 
rience the  anointing  of  the  Spirit  at  the  time  of  their  conver- 
sion. The  change  is  so  great,  and  so  exactly  corresponds  with 
the  Scriptures,  which  they  have  been  enabled  by  faithful  instruc- 
tion, and  the  enlightening  and  convincing  operations  of  the 
10 


150  Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27. 

Holy  Spirit,  to  understand,  that  they  can  hardly  doubt  that  it 
is  saving.  By  the  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  have 
such  a  view  of  the  holy  character  of  Christ,  that  their  affec- 
tions flow  out  to  him,  and  they  feel  that  they  must  love  him, 
whether  saved  or  lost.  The  object  of  their  aff'ections  appears 
to  be  in  reality  before  their  minds,  and  so  glorious  that  they 
can  think  of  nothing  else,  not  even  of  their  escape  from  the 
wrath  of  God,  and  their  hope  of  future  happiness.  Those 
whose  peace  and  joy  arise  from  their  deliverance  from  the  fear 
of  everlasting  misery,  or  their  hope  of  future  happiness,  have 
no  good  reason  to  believe  that  they  have  experienced  a  saving 
change. 

So  feeble  are  the  powers  of  the  new  creature  at  first,  that 
without  the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  his  views  would  be 
obscure  and  limited,  and  the  new  exercises  of  his  mind  and 
heart  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  the  old.  As  soon  as  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  withdrawn  for  a  season,  the  new  convert  is 
involved  in  darkness — the  darkness  of  his  own  mind,  and  he 
fears  that  he  has  been  deceived.  It  is  sometimes  long  before 
the  christian  becomes  firmly  established.  Severe  trials  suc- 
cessfully endured,  do  much  to  confirm  the  christian  in  the  faith 
of  the  Gospel.  We  are  assured  that  we  shall  not  be  tempted 
above  what  we  are  able,  if  faithful,  to  endure.  "  God  is  faith- 
ful, who  will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted  above  that  ye  are 
able;  but  will,  with  the  temptation  also  make  a  way  of 
escape,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  bear  it."  (1  Cor.  x.  18.)  The 
darkest  seasons  in  the  experience  of  christians  are  often  fol- 
lowed by  those  full  of  light  and  joy.  Though  the  Spirit  of 
Christ  dwells  in  all  vitally  united  to  him,  yet  the  anointing  is 
granted  from  time  to  time,  according  to  the  necessities  of  the 
new  man.      This  is  discoverable  even  by  worldly  men,  when 


Sermon  on  1  John  \\.  27.  151 

christians  pray,  and  especially  when  ministers  pray  and 
preach.  It  is  manifest  that  they  speak  from  the  deep  feelings 
of  their  heart.  It  is  a  common  saying  of  worldly  men,  when 
they  hear  others  pray  or  preach,  that  there  is  no  heart  in  their 
performances.  There  is  a  solemnity  which  attends  the  prayers 
and  the  preaching  of  men  who  are  spiritually  minded.  If 
not  the  most  distinguished  for  the  powers  of  their  mind  and 
their  extensive  learning,  if  they  have  God  with  them,  their 
labors  will  not  be  in  vain. 

Why  some  appear  not  to  be  favored  with  the  anointing  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  at  the  time  of  their  conversion,  and  why  they 
are  left  in  darkness  and  doubt  for  a  long  time,  we  know  not. 
It  may  be  to  prepare  them  by  a  more  thorough  knowledge  of 
their  own  hearts  for  difficult  labors.  They  may  not  know  the 
day  of  their  conversion.  This  must  lead  them  to  search  the 
Scriptures  and  their  own  hearts  before  they  dare  hope  they 
have  passed  from  death  unto  life.  It  requires  time  for  those 
who  had  embraced  previously  a  false  religion,  to  free  them- 
selves from  all  its  principles  and  practices.  It  is  hardly  neces- 
sary to  observe  that  the  Holy  Spirit  operates  with  the  new 
man,  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit,  and  his  child,  to  enable 
him  to  resist  the  old  man,  the  body  of  remaining  sin.  And  it 
is  the  Spirit  that  does  accomplish  this  work.  Sanctification 
is  as  much  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  regeneration.  *'  If 
ye  through  the  Spirit,"  said  the  apostle,  "  do  mortify  the  deeds 
of  the  body,  ye  shall  live." 

II.  I  shall  now  proceed  to  give  some  more  particular  account 
of  the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

1.  It  enlightens  the  understanding  and  conscience.  "Ye 
have  an  unction  from  the  Holy  One,"  said  John, "  and  ye  know 
all  things."     The  text  more  fully  expresses  the  same  things. 


152  Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27. 

The  same  Spirit  by  which  the  Scriptures  were  inspired,  dwells 
in  every  true  believer,  teaching  the  same  things  he  finds  in  the 
volume  of  revelation.      The  intelligent  christian  finds  noth- 
ing in  the  Scriptures  which  relates  to  the  way  of  salvation, 
which  is  not  written  on  his  own  heart.     He  may  search  his 
heart  and  find  the  Scriptures  there,  so  far  as  they  relate  to  him- 
self.    He,  therefore,  may  be  said  to  know  all  things  which  it  is 
of  importance  for  him  to  know.     Of  course,  he  does  not  depend 
on  the  experience  of  another,  and  ought  not  to  receive  the 
theories  and  opinions  of  men  as  the  foundation  of  his  faith. 
Religion  is  a  personal  thing.     We  must  understand,  believe 
and  act  for  ourselves.     We  must  not  believe  that  we  are  chris- 
tians because  others  think  we  are,  encourage  us  to  hope  we 
are,  and  persuade  us  to  enter  the  church.      Many  have  been 
lost,  no   doubt,   by  depending  ^on  the  favorable  opinion  of 
others,  and  others  of  acknov/ledged  piety.      The  intelligent 
christian  can  form  a  pretty  correct  opinion  of  others.     Every 
true  christian,  who  knows  from  his  own  experience  what  is 
essential  to  the  character  of  him  who  has  been  born  of  the 
Spirit,  can  eaisly  discover  essential  defects  in  any  professed 
believers.     When  the  humble  and  devout  christian  is  favored 
with  a  fresh  anointing  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  a  bright,  delight- 
ful and  glorious  scene  passes  before  his  mind.     The  doctrines 
of  Christianity  appear  to  be  solemn  realities,  Christ  appears  to 
be  the  "  chief  among  ten  thousands,  and  altogether  lovely ;" 
the  affections  flow  out  to  him,  doubts  are  scattered,  and  the 
believer  enjoys  a  foretaste  and  an  earnest  of  heaven.      His 
clear  views  of  spiritual  things  are  transforming. 

2.  The  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  gives  the  chris- 
tian clear  views  of  spiritual  things,  enables  him  to  declare  and 
to  defend  the  truths  with  decision  and  boldness.     When  Peter 


Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27.  153 

and  John  had  been  called  before  the  Jewish  council  for  preach- 
ing the  Gospel,  and  had  been  threatened,  they  still  remained 
steadfast  in  the  truth,  fearing  God  rather  than  men.  "And 
when  they  had  prayed,  the  place  was  shaken  where  they  were 
assembled  together ;  and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  they  spake  the  word  of  God  with  boldness."  The 
effect  of  their  decision  and  boldness  was  most  powerful.  "And 
the  multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one  heart,  and 
of  one  soul:  neither  said  any  of  them  that  aught  of  the 
things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own ;  but  they  had  all  things 
common.  And  with  great  power  gave  the  apostles  witness  of 
the  resurrection  of  the  Lord  Jesus  :  and  great  grace  was  upon 
them  all."     (Acts  iv.  31-33.) 

The  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit  not  only  enables  christians 
to  declare  the  truth  with  great  decision  and  boldness,  but 
makes  the  impression  on  the  mind  of  the  hearer  that  God  is 
speaking  to  him  by  one  of  his  servants.  A  man  may  be  ear- 
nest, decided  and  bold  in  declaring  the  truth  ;  but,  if  there  be 
not  that  deep  feeling  and  solemnity  in  his  manner,  which  make 
it  manifest  that  he  is  assisted  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  will  only 
excite  opposition  to  the  truth.  Those  who  are  not  assisted  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  are  usually  timid,  often  withhold  or  modify 
those  doctrines  to  which  the  unrenewed  are  most  opposed. 
The  love  of  human  applause  influences  many,  and  men  of  the 
world  love  smooth  things. 

Discourses  addressed  to  the  imagination  may  draw  many 
tears  from  the  eyes  of  the  speaker  and  of  the  hearer,  but  the 
heart  of  neither  may  be  effected.  Many  theories  have  been 
devised  and  adopted  to  make  it  easy  for  men  to  become  chris- 
tians, without  any  radical  change,  or  a  new  creation.  They 
have  always  proved  an  injury  to  the  church,  and  ruinous  to 


154  Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27. 

the  souls  of  very  many.  "  If  any  man  be  a  christian,"  said  the 
apostle,  "  he  is  a  new  creature."  And  if  any  man  be  not  a 
new  creature,  he  is  not  a  christian.  A  new  creation  is  neces- 
sary to  make  a  man  a  christian.  Those  who  are  favored  with 
the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  do  not  feel  the  need  of  any 
human  theory  to  aid  them.  Their  dependence  for  success  is 
on  the  Spirit  of  God. 

Where  a  church  and  its  pastor  are  favored  with  the  anoint- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  sanctuary  is  a  holy  place.  Those 
who  enter  it  feel  that  they  are  entering  the  presence  of  God, 
the  preacher  feels  that  his  labors  are  connected  with  the  honor 
of  God,  and  the  everlasting  destiny  of  his  hearers,  and  the 
church  lift  up  their  earnest  desires  for  a  blessing.  What  deep 
solemnity  must  have  been  upon  the  mind  of  the  apostle,  when 
he  thus  expressed  his  feelings.  "  For  we  are  unto  God  a  sweet 
savor  of  Christ  in  them  that  are  saved,  and  in  them  that  per- 
ish. To  the  one  we  are  a  savor  of  death  unto  death,  and  to 
the  other  the  savor  of  life  unto  life  ;  and  who  is  sufficient  for 
these  things  ?" 

Revivals  of  religion  are  produced  by  the  anointing  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  extends  to  the  whole  church.  What  solem- 
nity do  we  then  discover  in  the  house  of  God,  in  the  church,  in 
the  labors  of  the  preacher,  in  the  congregation,  now  greatly 
increased  and  attentive  to  the  word  ! 

3.  The  unction  of  the  Spirit  gives  vigor  to  all  the  christian 
graces. 

"The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long  suffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance  ;  against 
such  there  is  no  law  :  and  they  that  are  Christ's  have  crucified 
the  flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts."     (Gal.  v.  22,  24.) 

Love  is  shed  abroad  in  the  heart  by  the  anointing  of  the 


Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27.  155 

Holy  Spirit — love  of  Christ,  and  love  of  the  souls  of  men. 
Intense  love  of  any  object  will  produce  corresponding  effects. 
It  takes  strong  hold  of  him  who  possesses  it.  If  we  compare 
the  love  which  many  exhibit  towards  Christ  and  his  cause, 
with  the  love  they  manifest  for  their  own  temporal  interest 
we  must  conclude  that  they  have  not  that  which  is  essential 
to  the  christian  character.  How  backward  are  many,  when 
called  upon  to  aid  in  the  support  of  the  Gospel  for  their  fami- 
lies, or  in  sending  it  to  the  destitute,  to  make  known  to  them  the 
way  of  life  !  Can  they  be  satisfied  with  their  hope  of  future 
life  ?  That  love  which  flows  from  the  depths  of  the  heart, 
will  affect  the  sinner,  and  dispose  him  to  listen  to  him  who 
seeks  to  do  him  good.  The  more  intense  our  love  the  greater 
will  be  our  exertions,  and  the  greater  liberality  in  the  promo- 
tion of  the  cause  of  our  Redeemer. 

The  joy,  which  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  is  not  pro- 
duced so  much  by  a  belief  that  we  have  been  delivered  from 
the  fear  of  future  punishment,  and  have  obtained  a  hope  of 
heaven,  as  by  a  sense  of  our  deliverance  from  the  bondage  of 
sin,  and  the  discovery  of  the  glory  of  God  as  it  shines  in  the 
face  of  Jesus  Christ. 

On  this  object  the  christian  gazes  with  delight  and  rapture. 
He  has  found  him  he  long  sought,  and  finds  him  infinitely  glo- 
rious, and  confesses  he  never  before  had  any  just  conception 
of  his  excellency. 

That  peace,  which  is  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  results  from 
reconciliation  to  the  whole  character  of  God,  and  to  all  the 
revelations  he  has  made  of  himself  and  of  his  purposes. 
"Great  peace  have  they  that  love  thy  law,"  said  the  Psalm- 
ist, "and  nothing  shall  offend  them.  It  passeth  understanding." 
It  is  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  that  the  controversy  between  the 


156  Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27. 

sinner  and  his  God  is  terminated.  Long  suffering  partakes  of 
a  tender  and  forgiving  spirit.  It  is  opposed  to  an  irritable 
spirit,  and  is  connected  with  patience  in  laboring  for  the  hap- 
piness of  our  fellow-creatures.  Gentleness  and  meekness  may 
well  be  coupled  together,  though  gentleness  has  reference  to 
that  kind  and  delicate  spirit  with  which  a  christian  should  ap- 
proach the  unrenewed,  and  meekness  to  that  quiet  and  unre- 
sisting spirit,  by  which  he  should  bear  rough  and  improper 
treatment.  Many  christians  would  be  more  successful  in  their 
attempts  to  do  good,  if  they  would  exhibit  a  gentle  spirit,  and 
when  opposed,  would  meekly  bear  opposition. 

That  goodness  which  is  a  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  is  diffusive — 
relieving  the  wants  of  the  suffering,  whether  the  righteous  or 
the  wicked.  That  faith  which  is  a  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  includes 
faith  in  Christ,  faith  in  the  promises  of  God,  and  fidelity  in  the 
discharge  of  every  duty,  and  in  the  fulfilment  of  every  engage- 
ment. 

That  temperance  which  is  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  subjects 
all  the  passions  and  all  the  powers  of  the  mind  to  the  law  of 
Christ.  It  is  not  confined  merely  to  excess  in  eating  and 
drinking,  but  extends  to  the  whole  man,  and  to  the  proper 
government  of  his  whole  life. 

It  is  one  of  the  evidences  of  true  piety,  and  of  the  anointing 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  all  the  christian  graces  are  exercised 
in  perfect  harmony.  The  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are 
not  fitful  and  partial.  They  exhibit  the  christian  character  in 
all  its  just  proportions,  so  as  to  correspond  with  the  character 
of  Christ.  All  the  graces  of  the  new  creature  increase 
together  ;  otherwise  his  character  would  not  be  symmetrical^ 
and  could  not  be  respected,  loved  and  admired. 

The  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is,  in  a  greater  or  less 


Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27.  157 

degree,  given  to  every  christian.  But  it  is  granted  to  them 
according  to  their  necessities,  when  they  have  made  equal 
attainments  in  holiness.  Those  who  maintain  daily  a  holy 
life,  enjoy  constantly  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  As  they 
daily  commune  with  God,  so  he  daily  communes  with  them. 
Their  conversation  is  in  heaven,  while  performing  the  duties 
of  the  present  life. 

^Here  it  may  be  observed,  the  devout  christian,  who  has 
passed  through  many  trials,  and  made  great  progress  in  the 
divine  life,  finds  such  an  exact  correspondence  between  the 
Scripture  views  of  the  essentials  of  the  christian  character 
and  his  own  experience,  that  he  cannot  doubt  that  all  Scrip- 
ture is  given  by  inspiration  of  God.  An  imposter  might  pos- 
sibly describe  the  experience  of  one  person  for  a  particular 
day,  but  none  but  God  can  know  and  describe  the  essentials 
of  every  christian  character,  in  every  age,  country,  and  at 
every  period  of  life.  The  christian  who  daily  meditates  on  the 
word  of  God  for  forty  or  fifty  years,  finds  in  the  word  of  God 
an  exact  description  of  his  feelings,  his  joys  and  his  sorrows, 
his  hopes  and  his  fears.  He  needs  no  other  evidence  than  the 
testimony  of  his  own  heart. 

The  inquiry  may  now  be  suggested  to  your  minds,  how  may 
we  obtain  the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ? 

We  find  that  those  divines  and  christians  whose  works 
have  most  of  the  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  are  most 
favorable  to  a  devotional  spirit  in  us.  were  called  to  endure 
severe  trials,  violent  opposition,  and  many  of  them  cruel  per- 
secution. Their  trials  weaned  them  from  all  attachment  to 
the  world,  and  led  them  to  be  much  in  prayer  and  meditation 
on  the  word  of  God.  When  they  looked  out  upon  the  world, 
they  saw  the  powers  of  the  world  hostile  to  them,  the  world 


158  Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27. 

was  crucified  to  them,  and  their  worldly  feelings  were  morti- 
fied. Their  place  of  devotion  was  their  home,  where  they 
found  a  friend  better  than  the  world,  who  could  pity  them,  and 
shed  abroad  his  love  in  their  hearts.  Whatever  tends  to  hum- 
ble the  pride  of  the  human  heart,  and  to  mortify  the  deeds  of 
the  body,  prepares  the  christian  for  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  loss  of  property,  of  health,  of  friends,  does  not 
humble  the  christian  so  much  as  the  opposition  and  scorn  of 
those  to  whom  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
cross  is  foolishness.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  describe  the  scorn 
and  contempt  manifested  by  the  unitarian  and  infidel,  when 
the  doctrines  of  the  cross  are  faithfully  exhibited.  The  morti- 
fication of  the  deeds  of  the  body,  i.  e.  all  worldly  desires  which 
are  not  necessary  to  prepare  us  for  a  discharge  of  our  duty? 
and  persevering  prayer,  prepare  the  heart  for  the  indwelling 
and  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Search  your  heart,  and  cast 
out  everything  evil,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  will  enter  and  abide 
there. 

It  was  the  practice  of  christians  of  former  ages,  when  unsuc- 
cessful, to  set  apart  days  of  fasting  and  prayer,  that  they  might 
humble  themselves  before  God,  and  so  obtain  his  favor.  The- 
real  christian,  when  unsuccessful,  charges  the  fault  to  himself 
and  not  to  God.  By  his  humiliation  he  prepares  himself  for 
the  return  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  for  promised  blessings. 
Too  many,  when  unsuccessful,  censure  others,  and  are  ready 
to  say  in  their  hearts,  "If  they  were  as  faithful  as  we  are,  we 
should  see  a  happy  change."  Many  a  time,  after  a  day  of 
fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer,  the  Spirit  has  descended  on 
the  church,  and  on  individuals  who  have  observed  such  a  day. 
"  Behold,  the  Lord's  hand  is  not  shortened  that  it  cannot  save, 
nor  his  ear  heavy  that  it  cannot  hear;    but  your  iniquities," 


Sermon  on  1  John  ii.  27.  159 

said  the  prophet,  "  have  separated  between  you  and  your  God, 
and  your  sins  have  hid  his  face  from  you,  that  he  will  not 
hear." 

The  Spirit  of  God  is  promised  to  all  who  ask.  But  those 
who  ask,  must  ask  in  a  right  manner.  They  must  feel  that 
their  own  strength  is  bat  weakness,  they  must  earnestly  desire 
the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  must  be  untiring  in  the  per- 
formance of  their  duty,  must  view  the  Holy  Spirit  with  holy 
and  profound  reverence,  must  ask  for  things  agreeable  to  the 
will  of  God,  and  with  a  spirit  of  submission  to  his  will.  A 
proper  sense  of  dependence  cannot  be  felt  except  by  those  who 
have  exerted  all  their  powers  without  success,  earnestly  desir- 
ing to  obtain  the  object  sought. 

Let  me  ask  the  members  of  this  church  the  following  ques- 
tions. The  Spirit  of  God  has  been  withholden  for  a  long  time. 
Have  you  or  any  of  you  thought  yourselves  faulty  ?  have  you 
not  looked  out  of  yourselves  for  the  cause  ?  One  has  men- 
tioned one  obstacle,  and  another  another.  Where  is  there  one 
that  has  condemned  himself?  Where  is  there  one  whose  tears 
make  it  manifest  that  he  is  mourning  the  absence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  ?  If  but  a  few  were  deeply  affected,  humbled  on  account 
of  their  sins,  and  could  pray  from  the  deep  feelings  of  their 
heart  for  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  might  expect  to  receive  this 
great  blessing.  I  would  then  say  in  conclusion,  let  every  one 
cease  to  look  out  of  himself  for  a  reason  for  the  continued 
absence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  look  into  his  own  heart  and 
life,  for  the  promise  is  to  one  as  well  as  to  many.     Amen. 


MEDITATION. 


PSALM  LXIII.  6,  6. 


"  My  soul  shall  be  satisfied  as  with  marrow  and  fatness ;  and  my  mouth 
shall  praise  thee  with  joyful  lips :  when  I  remember  thee  upon  my  bed, 
and  meditate  on  thee  in  the  night  watches." 

Meditation  is  a  duty,  which,  I  am  persuaded,  is  less  per- 
fectly understood,  and  more  generally  neglected  than  any 
other  which  is  equally  important.  Modern  writers,  the  most 
pious  as  well  as  the  most  learned,  have  scarcely  noticed  it  in 
their  numerous  publications.  Who  among  us  has  ever  listened 
to  a  discourse  in  which  it  was  explained  and  enforced,  or  in 
which  it  was  made  prominent  ?  It  was  a  remark  of  Luther, 
one  of  the  greatest  divines  and  reformers  that  ever  lived,  that 
three  things  are  necessary  to  make  a  good  minister,  and  we 
may  add  a  useful  Christian  ;  namely,  temptation,  prayer,  and 
meditation.  On  the  two  former  subjects  we  often  hear  ser- 
mons, or  read  essays.  Every  young  preacher,  whatever  his  sen- 
timents, has  a  sermon  on  prayer,  and  every  pastor  occasionally 
dwells  on  the  temptations  or  trials  of  Christians.  Why,  it 
may  be  asked,  is  the  duty  of  meditation  overlooked,  which  is 
so  often  mentioned,  not  only  in  the  devotional  parts  of  Scrip- 
ture, but  also  by  the  most  eminent  saints  of  former  ages  ? 
"Blessed  is  the  man,"  said  the  Psalmist,  "  that  walketh  not  in 
the  counsel  of  the  ungodly,  nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners, 
nor  sitteth  in  the  scat  of  the  scornful :  but  his  delight  is  in  the 
law  of  the  Lord ;  and  in  His  law  doth  he  meditate  day  and 
night.     O  how  I  love  thy  law  1     It  is  my  meditation  all  the 


Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6.  161 

day."    Very  many  passages  might  be  selected  from  the  Scrip- 
tures to  prove  that  eminent  saints  were  much  accustomed  to 
meditate  on  the  word  and  works  of  God,  and  that  they  felt  this 
to  be  a  duty,  on  the  right  performance  of  which  their  advance- 
ment in  holiness  and  true  happiness  very  much   depended. 
There  is  one  passage  (Ps.  xxxix.  3)  worthy  of  particular  no- 
tice :  "  My  heart  was  hot  within  me,  while  I  was  musing  (or 
meditating)  the  fire  burned ;  then  spake  I  with  my  tongue." 
While  the  pious  Psalmist  was  meditating  on  a  subject,  sug- 
gested to  his  mind  by  some  event  of  divine  providence,  or  by 
the  particular  circumstances  of  his  life,  the  hidden  fires  of  his 
soul  were  kindled  to  a  flame,  and  from  the  abundance  of  his 
heart  he  could  but  speak  of  the  things  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 
If  we  go  back  to  the  17th  century,  and  to  periods  still  more 
remote,  we  shall  find  that  the  most  spiritual  writers  often 
brought  to  view  the  duty  of  meditation — that  it  occupied  much 
of  their  time,  and  was  thought  peculiarly  suited  to  strengthen 
their  graces,  and  to  give  peace  to  their  troubled  minds.     And 
will  any  deny  that  their  piety  was  of  a  deeper  tone  than  that  of 
modern  divines  and  Christians,  and  that  the  works  of  the  for- 
mer are  much  better  adapted  to  promote  a  spirit  of  devotion 
than  the  works  of  the  latter  ?     Those  spiritual  views  of  divine 
truth,  which  so   much  delight  us  in   the  works   of  Baxter, 
Flavel,  and  Owen  ;  Shaw,  Charnook,  How,  and  others,  are  not 
to  be  discovered  in  the  productions  of  the  most  celebrated  di- 
vines of  the  present  century.     The  multitude  of  ephemeral 
publications,  which  only  glance  at  subjects  of  the  deepest  in- 
terest, so  occupy  the  minds  of  Christians  and  Christian  minis- 
ters, as  to  leave  them  but  little  time  for  the  study  of  the  most 
valuable  works,  and  for  retirement  and  meditation.     This  is 
an  age  distinguishedTor  enterprise  and  activity.     Every  week 


162  Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6. 

brings  us  intelligence  from  almost  every  part  of  the  world, 
and  the  attention  of  Christians  is  directed  to  passing  events. 
And  it  is  far  less  difficult  to  observe  what  takes  place  without 
us  than  to  notice  carefully  thp  operations  of  our  own  minds. 
What  the  church  has  gained  in  activity  and  benevolent  efforts, 
she  seems  to  have  lost  in  seriousness  and  purity.     She  feels 
less  her  dependence  on  God,  and  relies  more  on  her  own  wis- 
dom and  power  than  formerly.     It  may  be  added,  those  who 
feel  it  to  be  their  duty  to  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints,  when  engaged  in  any  controversy  with 
learned  and  subtle  opponents,  soon  become  so  excited,  as  to 
lose  their  relish  for  those  topics  which  have  special  reference 
to  a  holy,  spiritual,  and  heavenly  life.     Meetings  for  religious 
worship,  and  for  the  promotion  of  the  objects  of  benevolent 
societies  may  be  multiplied,  till  we  lose  all  spirituality  in  the 
performance  of  duty.     It  is  not  the  number  of  prayers  which 
God  regards  so  much,  as  the  spirit  with  which  they  are  offered. 
And  it  is  not  so  much  the  amount  contributed,  which  gives 
value  to  our  offerings  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  the  disposition  or 
motive  with  which  we  give  for  the  promotion   of  any  good 
object.     How  many  prayers  are  offered  which  have  nothing 
of  the  unction  of  the  Spirit !    And  how  many  in  their  charities 
are  uninfluenced  by  a  regard  to  the  glory  of  God  ! 

The  character  of  the  Christian  church  has,  during  the  last 
half  century,  been  gradually  and  imperceptibly  changed. 
What  she  has  gained  in  some  things,  has  made  her  overlook 
and  forget  what  she  has  lost  in  other  things.  Indeed,  she 
imagines  that  she  has  made  as  great  advancement  in  every 
thing  essential  as  she  has  made  in  activity  and  benevolent 
efforts.  This  is  by  no  means  the  fact.  It  certainly  is  high 
time  to  call  back  the  attention  of  Christians  to  those  subjects 


Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6.  163 

which  have  been  too  long  neglected,  and  which  are  intimately 
connected  with  their  advancement  in  holiness. 

In  the  following  discourse  I  propose  to  explain  and  enforce 
the  duty  of  meditation. 

I.  To  explain  the  duty  of  meditation. 

It  may  appear  to  you  at  first  view,  that  this  is  a  duty  you 
all  understand.  No  doubt  you  all  have  a  limited  and  superfi- 
cial view  of  it.  There  are  some  subjects  of  great  practical 
importance,  which  have  long  been  so  familiar  that  few  have 
ever  thoroughly  examined  them,  so  as  to  derive  from  them 
that  benefit  which  a  perfect  understanding  of  them  might  af- 
ford them.  One  of  them,  meditation,  I  propose  now  to  con- 
sider. 

Meditation  is  that  act  of  the  mind,  by  which  all  its  thoughts 
and  powers  are  concentrated,  and  fixed  exclusively  on  some 
particular  subject,  till  it  produces  its  legitimate  effects  on  the 
conscience  and  heart. 

"  To  think  closely  and  seriously  on  any  thing,"  says  Calmet, 
"  is  the  principal  and  most  usual  acceptation  of  the  verb  to 
meditate."  "  It  is,"  says  Bennet,  in  his  Christian  Oratory,  "  a 
fixed,  solemn  survey  or  consideration  of  some  or  other  subject 
of  religion,  in  order  to  raise  the  affections,  form  pious  resolu- 
tions, improve  the  mind,  and  converse  with  God.  It  is,"  he 
adds,  "  a  fixed,  solemn  consideration  of  a  subject,  in  which  it 
differs  from  more  slight  and  transient  thinking,  even  upon  di- 
vine matters.  It  is  a  designed,  close  examination  of  this  or 
that  argument  or  text,  searching  into  the  meaning,  laying  open 
the  truths  contained  in  it,  making  application  of  all  unto  our- 
selves, by  way  of  admonition,  reproof,  exhortation,  mixing 
spiritual  affections  therewith,  as  sorrow,  repentance,  self-in- 
dignation, love,  joy,  &c.,  endeavoring  by  all  means  to  carry  on 


164  Seiinon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6. 

some  intercourse  with  heaven."  "It  is,"  says  Baxter,  "the 
work  of  all  others,  the  most  spiritual  and  sublime,  and,  there- 
fore, not  to  be  performed  by  a  heart  that  is  merely  carnal  and 
earthly.  It  must  have  all  the  powers  of  the  soul,  to  distin- 
guish it  from  the  common  meditations  of  students ;  for  the 
understanding  is  not  the  whole  soul,  and,  therefore,  cannot  do 
the  whole  work."  Meditation  not  only  calls  into  exercise  all 
the  powers  of  the  soul,  but  so  concentrates  their  force,  that  they 
act  with  united  energy,  not  only  in  the  investigation  of  diffi- 
cult subjects,  but  also  in  the  discharge  of  difficult  duties.  It 
is  like  a  burning-glass,  which  by  collecting  the  rays  of  the  sun 
to  a  point,  kindles  combustible  substances  to  a  flame.  As  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  except  when  thus  collected,  do  not  produce  the 
effect  mentioned,  so  the  operations  of  the  mind,  except  when 
united,  do  not  kindle  to  a  flame  the  latent  fires  of  the  soul. 
Meditation  may  also  be  compared  to  the  process  of  digestion 
in  animal  economy,  without  which  our  food  can  afford  us  no 
nourishment.  The  truths  and  precepts  of  revelation  will  not 
benefit  us,  unless  we  correctly  understand  them,  cordially  re- 
ceive them,  and  govern  ourselves  according  to  them. 

To  mention  some  particulars. 

1.  "When  a  text,  or  any  portion  of  Scripture  is  selected  for  the 
subject  of  our  meditation,  a  correct  understanding  of  it  is  the 
first  thing  to  be  obtained.  In  the  accomplishment  of  this  object 
we  must  examine  the  connexion  ;  ascertain,  if  possible,  the  de- 
sign of  the  sacred  penman  ;  compare  scripture  with  scripture, 
not  only  that  one  passage  may  explain  another,  but  that  we 
may  obtain  different  views  of  the  subject  of  consideration.  The 
mere  fact  that  the  text  or  passage  selected  was  penned  by  one 
who  wrote  as  he  was  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  naturally  leads 
us  to  contemplate  the  character  and  labors  of  the  writer — the 


Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6.  165 

great  condescension  and  benevolence  of  God  in  furnishing  us 
with  the  most  valuable  instruction — and  also  His  rich  grace 
in  providing  for  us  a  Saviour,  whose  mediation  is  the  great 
subject  which  extends  through  the  whole  volume  of  revelation. 
Here  a  wide  field  opens  to  view,  the  utmost  bounds  of  which 
we  can  never  reach. 

When  we  understand  what  doctrine  is  taught,  or  what  pre- 
cept is  contained  in  a  text,  we  should  next  ascertain  what 
place  the  doctrine  occupies  in  the  system  of  Christian  truth, 
or  what  place  the  precept  occupies  in  the  system  of  Christian 
morality.  Now,  as  all  the  truths  peculiar  to  Christianity  con- 
stitute one  beautiful  and  perfectly  harmonious  system,  we 
cannot  dwell  on  any  one  of  them  without  being  insensibly  led 
to  admire  the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  God  manifested  in  its 
adoption.  So,  likewise,  all  the  precepts  of  the  gospel  consti- 
tute one  perfect  system,  according  to  which  the  Christian  char- 
acter must  be  formed.  We  cannot,  therefore,  dwell  on  any 
one  of  them  without  being  led  to  a  view  of  the  rest.  We  do 
not  properly  understand  a  subject,  unless  we  understand  its  con- 
nexion with  other  subjects.  Many  who  read  the  Scriptures 
are  like  those  travelers  who  pass  too  rapidly  over  a  country 
to  obtain  any  very  particular  or  satisfactory  views  of  any 
part  of  it.  They  can  say  that  they  have  seen  certain  cities 
and  villages,  but  what  account'  can  they  give  of  them  ?  Med- 
itation removes  from  the  word  of  God  the  veil  spread  over  it 
by  the  indulgence  of  a  worldly  or  self-righteous  spirit,  and  en- 
ables us  to  discover  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  spiritual 
things.  It  presents  to  our  mind  a  true  standard,  by  which  we 
may  judge  correctly  of  ourselves  and  of  our  conduct.  Medi- 
tation on  any  scripture  subject,  as  it  is  a  vigorous  action  of 

the  soul,  seems  to  implv  a  strong  desire  to  know  the  truths  we 
11 


166  Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6. 

ought  to  believe  and  the  precepts  we  ought  to  practice.  It 
makes  us  acquainted  with  every  thing  we  ought  to  know  and 
every  thing  we  ought  to  do.  Here  it  may  be  remarked,  the 
Scriptures  are  always  a  new  book  to  him  who  meditates  most 
intensely  on  any  portions  of  them.  They  are  a  treasure  which 
can  never  be  exhausted.  Those  who  read  the  Scriptures  the 
greatest  number  of  times,  and  with  the  greatest  care,  are  as 
much  delighted  with  the  freshness  of  novelty  as  those  who 
liave  read  them  but  a  very  few  times. 

Meditation  may  well  be  compared  to  a  microscopic  glass,  by 
which  many  beauties  are  discovered,  which  without  it  would 
escape  our  notice.  The  more  intense  our  meditation,  the 
greater  is  the  variety  of  the  objects  presented  to  our  view,  and 
the  more  glorious  they  appear. 

2.  Self-application  is  an  essential  branch  or  part  of  medita- 
tion. The  truths  we  find  in  the  word  of  God,  when  understood, 
we  apply  to  our  own  hearts.  As  the  work  of  sanctification 
progresses  we  become  more  and  more  perfectly  acquainted 
with  the  character  and  will  of  God,  and  more  and  more  per- 
fectly reconciled  to  all  the  truths  of  his  word.  The  new  con- 
vert is  reconciled  to  all  the  leading  truths  of  God's  word.  But 
his  views  of  the  doctrines  of  revelation  are  general.  As  he 
progresses  in  holiness  they  become  more  particular,  and  the 
application  of  them  is  more  particular.  That  variety  of  feel- 
ings which  the  different  circumstances  in  which  he  is  placed 
call  into  exercise,  are  tried  by  the  truths  of  God's  word.  No 
man  has  a  right  to  be  satisfied  with  his  hope  so  long  as  his 
heart  is  opposed  to  any  truth  plainly  revealed  in  the  word  of 
God.  That  faith  which  is  connected  with  the  promise  of  sal- 
vation, is  not  limited,  but  embraces  without  any  reserve,  every 
truth.     And   that  ignorance  of  the  truth,  which  arises  from 


Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6.  167 

• 

unsanctified  feelings,  or  the  indulgence  of  sinful  propensities 
cannot  be  excused  in  the  sight  of  God.  The  Jews  crucified 
the  Son  of  God,  because  they  knew  not  what  they  did.  Had 
they  known,  and  not  dared  to  do  it,  their  feelings  would  have 
been  the  same.  Their  ignorance  was  the  occasion  of  their 
acting  out  the  feelings  of  their  heart,  which  were  opposed  to 
the  true  character  of  God.  Their  ignorance  did  not  excuse 
them  in  the  sight  of  God. 

A  wicked  man  rnay,  without  any  just  cause,  hate  a  good  man, 
whose  character  he  knows,  but  whom  he  does  not  know  per- 
sonally. They  may  meet  without  knowing  each  other,  and 
the  wicked  man,  because  ignorant  that  he  is  in  the  presence 
of  the  good  man,  may,  giving  vent  to  the  enmity  of  his  heart, 
revile  him,  using  the  most  bitter  expressions.  Now  the  fact 
that  the  wicked  man  did  not  know  that  he  was  in  the  presence 
of  the  good  man,  and  too,  the  fact  that  he  would  have  concealed 
his  feelings  had  he  known  it,  by  no  means  excuses  his  conduct, 
or  alters  in  the  least  the  character  of  it. 

In  meditation,  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel  are  applied  to  the 
feelings  of  our  heart  and  to  our  manner  of  life.  And  the  more 
intensely  we  meditate  on  the  law  of  God,  the  more  we  shall 
be  convinced  that  it  is  exceeding  broad,  and  the  more  we  shall 
think  of  every  precept.  Our  knowledge  of  the  divine  law  is 
increasing  during  our  whole  life.  We  are  constantly  looking 
back  upon  our  past  life  and  condemning  actions  we  once 
thought  innocent  or  harmless.  If  faithful  in  our  meditations, 
we  shall  condemn  in  ourselves  what  the  law  of  God  condemns, 
and  approve  only  what  the  law  of  God  approves.  The  views 
which  some  have  of  the  divine  law,  are  so  superficial  that 
■without  any  reproofs  of  conscience  which  trouble  them,  they 
do  many  things  which  others  would  not  dare  do.     Though 


108  Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6. 

making  pretensions  to  uncommon  piety  and  zeal  for  God,  their 
morality  is  of  a  very  questionable  character. 

"  To  this  man  will  I  look,"  saith  Jehovah,  "  to  him  that  is 
poor,  and  of  a  contrite  spirit,  and  that  trembleth  at  my  word." 
It  is  the  conscientious  man  that  trembleth  at  the  word  of  God. 
And  it  is  the  man  who  is  accustomed  to  meditate  on  the  word 
of  God  that  is  conscientious.  How  many  who  make  promises 
they  never  fulfil !  This  greatly  diminishes  their  influence, 
though  they  may  never  be  aware  of  it.  Were  professing 
Christians  more  strictly  moral  in  their  intercourse  with  worldly 
men,  or  were  they  more  conscientious,  their  influence  would 
be  greatly  increased.  There  are  many  worldly  men,  who  have 
a  high  sense  of  justice  or  honesty,  and  veracity ;  and  they 
cannot  respect  the  professing  Christian  who  deviates  from  the 
standard  they  scrupulously  regard.  Some,  no  doubt,  consider 
their  zeal  in  promoting  objects  of  benevolence,  or  in  promoting 
revivals,  a  substitute  for  strict  morality,  or  at  least  an  excuse 
for  many  errors  of  practice.  Some  of  this  class,  though  full 
of  zeal,  and  apparently  much  engaged  in  religious  duties,  are 
far  from  being  sound  in  doctrine,  or  correct  in  their  moral  con- 
duct. Professions  are  of  no  avail  if  not  sustained  by  corres- 
ponding lives.  It  is  better  not  to  vow  than  to  vow  and  not 
pay.  Hypocrisy  is  that  sin  which  God  abhors,  and  which  men 
despise.  Growth  in  grace  is  always  manifested  by  increased 
tenderness  of  conscience  in  regard  to  every  acknowledged 
duty. 

II.  I  shall  now  attempt  to  enforce  the  duty  of  meditation. 

1.  We  are  expressly  required  by  Jehovah  himself,  to  medi- 
tate on  his  law.  "  This  book  of  the  law  shall  not  depart  out 
of  thy  mouth  ;  but  thou  shalt  meditate  therein  day  and  night, 
that  thou  mayest  observe  to  do  according  to  all  that  is  written 


Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6.  169 

therein :  for  then  thou  shalt  make  thy  way  prosperous,  and 
then  thou  shalt  have  good  success."  (Josh  i.  8.)  This  com- 
mand is  reasonable.  If  any  business  require  the  exercise  of 
all  the  powers  of  our  mind,  it  is  surely  that  we  have  to  trans- 
act with  God,  who  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  iniquity, 
and  in  whose  sight  the  heavens  are  not  clean.  It  is  not  suffi- 
cient to  worship  him  with  our  lips,  when  our  hearts  are  far 
from  him.  How  few  of  the  prayers  offered  to  God  express 
deep  feelings  of  heart !  And  how  can  the  heart  be  properly 
affected  except  by  meditation  on  the  word  of  God  !  Professing 
Christians  may  become  so  accustomed  to  perform  the  reli- 
gious duties  of  every  day,  as  to  discharge  them  without  being 
more  affected  than  repeating  a  speech  of  some  one  of  the 
ancients.  We  all  know  from  our  own  experience,  that  our 
prayers  become  formal  if  we  neglect  only  for  a  few  days 
the  work  of  self-examination,  and  that  application  of  the  word 
of  God  to  our  own  hearts  which  results  from  meditation.  We 
may  be  formal  wh^  we  are  not  confined  to  an  exact  form  of 
words,  but  when  we  feel  not  the  power  of  divine  truth. 

It  is  not  treating  God  with  that  reverence  which  he  has  a 
right  to  expect  from  us,  to  read  the  volume  of  revelation  with 
no  more  attention  than  we  read  the  works  of  men.  The  intelli- 
gence communicated  is  most  important  and  interesting.  It  deep- 
ly concerns  us  for  time  and  for  eternity.  What  must  we  think 
of  those  preachers,  who  are  so  imperfectly  acquainted  with  the 
Scriptures,  as  to  be  unable  to  repeat  the  texts  which  prove  the 
doctrines  they  profess  to  believe  !  Apostasy  in  the  church  may, 
it  is  believed,  be  traced  to  neglect  of  the  Scriptures  in  every 
instance,  and  to  the  adoption  of  some  system  of  philosophy, 
the  invention  of  man.  Those  systems  of  philosophy  which  are 
the  offspring  of  the  human  mind,  can  never  explain  the  phe- 


170  Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6. 

nomena  of  grace  or  of  the  operations  of  the  Spirit.  It  is  writ- 
ten, "  in  the  wisdom  of  God,  the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not 
God."  That  sj'-stem  of  truth  which  makes  us  acquainted  with 
the  true  character  of  God,  was  never  discovered  by  human 
reason ;  but  is  derived  from  revelation.  Would  any  one, 
therefore,  know  the  character  of  the  true  God,  his  law,  and  the 
way  of  salvation,  he  must  search  the  Scriptures  daily,  and 
meditate  on  them  day  and  night.  This  is  the  more  important, 
as  there  is  such  a  diversity  of  opinion  among  those  who  pro- 
fess to  believe  the  Scriptures  to  be  the  word  of  God.  Such  is 
the  worth  of  the  soul^  that  no  one  ought  to  be  in  doubt  with 
respect  to  the  truths  which  most  deeply  concern  him. 

It  may  be  added  in  connexion  with  what  has  been  said  re- 
specting the  command  of  God,  that  those  who  were  inspired, 
and  who  were  most  favored  with  the  teachings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  were  most  accustomed  to  meditate  on  the  word  of  God. 
The  example  of  inspired  men,  speaking  or  writing  a-s  moved 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  may  be  considered  as^a  safe  interpreta- 
tion of  the  divine  law.  "  O,  how  I  love  thy  law,"  said  the 
Psalmist,  not  finding  words  sufficient  fully  to  express  the  feel- 
ings of  his  heart.  He  added,  "It  is  my  meditation  all  the 
day."  Now  it  is  a  fact  worthy  of  consideration,  and  which 
ought  never  to  be  forgotten,  that  those  subjects  on  which 
Christians  most  delight  to  meditate  when  their  minds  are 
most  spiritual,  or  when  they  are  most  favored  with  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  best  suited  to  promote  spirituality. 
We  know  that  passing  by  a  place  where  we  once  escaped 
some  great  danger,  revives  the  feelings  experienced  at  that 
place.  So  meditating  on  subjects,  or  passages  of  Scripture, 
which  at  a  former  time  afforded  us  great  satisfaction  and 


Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6.  171 

delight,  may  revive  those  graces  which  before  were  called 
into  exercise. 

2.  That  unction,  which  gives  such  beauty  and  interest  to 
the  prayers  and  all  the  religious  duties  of  Christians,  and  espe- 
cially Christian  ministers,  it  is  believed  none  experience  who 
are  not  accustomed  to  meditate  intensely  on  the  word  of  God. 
It  is  to  be  lamented  that  so  few  understand  how  great  privileges 
they  may  enjoy.  Few  have  a  proper  sense  of  their  dependence 
on  the  Spirit  of  God.  Those  who  have  no  proper  sense  of  their 
dependence  on  the  Spirit  of  God,  do  not  ask  or  pray  for  this  pro- 
mised blessing  in  a  right  manner,  and  consequently  do  not  know 
from  happy  experience  how  delightful  it  is  to  be  favored  with 
His  presence  and  assistance.  They  trust  in  their  own  wisdom 
and  strength.  It  seems  to  be  the  opinion  of  many,  the  opinion, 
though  not  openly  confessed,  which  actually  governs  them, 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  needed  only  for  the  conversion  of  sin- 
ners. The  consequence  is,  that  their  prayers  and  their  reli- 
gious performances  have  nothing  of  the  unction  of  the  Spirit, 
and  that  they  know  not  from  their  own  feelings,  how  much 
they  might  be  assisted  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  were  they  to  accus- 
tom themselves  to  intense  meditation  on  the  divine  word. 
Christians  may  be  fluent  in  conversation  and  in  prayer ;  their 
language  may  be  correct,  and  their  expressions  appropriate, 
but  if  they  have  not  the  anointing  of  the  Spirit,  their  very  best 
performances  will  not  produce  any  very  important  results. 
Were  more  time  spent  in  retirement  and  meditation,  and  less 
in  outward  duties,  no  doubt  much  more  would  be  accom- 
plished. Were  Christians  in  the  true  sense,  to  go  forth  in  the 
strength  of  their  Lord,  understanding  and  feeling  that  their 
success  depends  on  Him,  they  would  not  so  often  have  occa- 
sion to  complain  that  they  have  spent  their  labor  for  nought. 


172  Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6. 

3.  Meditation  is,  perhaps,  more  productive  than  the  per- 
formance of  any  other  duty  of  that  joy  which  is  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory,  and  of  that  peace  which  passeth  under- 
standing. "  My  soul,"  said  the  Psalmist,  "  shall  be  satisfied 
as  with  marrow  and  fatness,  and  my  mouth  shall  praise  Thee 
with  joyful  lips;  when  I  remember  Thee  upon  my  bed,  and 
meditate  on  Thee  in  the  night  watches."  By  meditation  the 
«oul  of  the  Psalmist  was  satisfied  as  with  marrow  and  fatness. 
This  figurative  language  is  very  forcible.  When  he  called  to 
remembrance  what  he  had  known  of  the  goodness  of  God,  and 
the  many  proofs  he  had  given  of  his  faithfulness  to  one  as  un- 
worthy as  he  felt  himself  to  be,  and  M'^hen  he  meditated  on 
these  things  he  was  indeed  happy.  His  views  of  the  excel- 
lence of  the  divine  character  were  clear  and  greatly  enlarged  ; 
his  hard  heart  became  tender,  and  it  overflowed  with  gratitude 
and  love  to  the  best  of  all  beings.  The  more  perfectly  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  the  character  of  God,  and  the  princi- 
ples of  his  government,  the  more  peaceful  his  mind  was  when 
afflicted,  or  when  reviled.  When  by  meditation  self  becomes 
annihilated,  or  we  loathe  and  abhor  ourselves  and  exercise 
sincere  repentance,  then  we  are  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of 
God.  The  Spirit  of  God  dwells  with  those  who  remember 
him  with  affection  and  reverence,  and  who  delight  to  medi- 
tate on  his  word  and  works.  Those  who  are  favored  with  the 
presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  experience  that  peace  which  pass- 
eth understanding,  and  have  a  foretaste  of  heaven. 

It  is  intense  meditation  on  the  word  of  God  which  fits  Chris- 
tians and  Christian  ministers  for  the  discharge  of  every  duty, 
and  which  makes  every  duty  a  delight.  It  is  this  which  gives 
vigor  to  every  grace,  and  which  is  a  powerful  means  of  ad- 
vancing the  work  of  sanctification  in  the  heart.     Christians 


Sei-mon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6.  173 

make  more  rapid  progress  in  their  knowledge  of  divine  things 
by  the  inward  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  than  by  reading  all 
the  publications  of  the  day.  "  The  heart  of  the  wise  teacheth 
his  mouth  and  addeth  learning  to  his  lips."  The  experience  of 
a  Christian,  who  for  many  years  has  been  accustomed  to  med- 
itate on  the  word  of  God  is  a  safer  guide  to  an  inquirer  than 
the  most  learned  lectures  of  the  ablest  divine,  whose  knowl- 
edge is  not  modified  and  corrected  by  deep  experience.  Those 
who  have  propagated  the  most  dangerous  errors,  were  men 
who  trusted  more  to  the  powers  of  their  own  mind,  than  to 
the  simple  word  of  God,  and  a  sound  Christian  experience. 

With  respect  to  the  selection  of  subjects  for  meditation,  we 
must  be  directed  by  our  own  necessities,  or  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances of  our  life.  The  word  of  God  helps  us  to  under- 
stand the  events  of  his  providence,  and  the  course  of  his  prov- 
idence helps  to  understand  his  word.  Is  any  one  afflicted  ? 
The  Scriptures  contain  many  passages  adapted  to  give  instruc- 
tion, and  to  afford  consolation  to  such  as  have  lost  their  prop- 
erty, their  health,  or  their  friends.  Do  any  in  the  faithful  dis- 
charge of  their  duty  suffer  reproach  ?  The  Scriptures  point 
to  prophets,  apostles,  and  even  to  Christ  himself,  who  suffered 
not  only  reproach,  but  death  for  their  faithfulness.  "  If  the 
world  hate  you,"  said  Christ  to  his  disciples,  "  ye  know  that  it 
hated  me  before  it  hated  you.  The  servant  is  not  greater  than 
his  Lord.  If  they  have  persecuted  me,  they  will  also  perse- 
cute you."  Are  any  prosperous  in  their  circumstances  ?  They 
are  taught  in  the  Scriptures  that  riches  take  to  themselves 
wings  and  fly  away.  Do  any  complain  of  stupidity  or  cold- 
ness ?  If  Christians,  indeed,  meditation  on  the  sufferings  and 
death  of  Christ  will  dissolve  the  hard  heart,  and  cause  its  no- 
blest feelings  to  flow  out  to  God.     The  success  of  meditation 


174  Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6. 

depends  very  much  on  the  selection  of  such  portions  of  Scrip- 
ture as  are  suited  to  the  state  of  our  minds. 

It  may  be  added,  that  our  meditations  may  be  profitable 
and  delightful ;  we  must  have  regard  to  times  and  places 
chosen  for  the  performance  of  the  duty.  These  circumstances 
are  observed  by  men  of  this  w^orld  in  the  accomplishment  of 
any  enterprise.  Seed  not  sown  at  the  proper  season  will  dis- 
appoint the  expectations  of  the  husbandman.  Those  who 
would  make  advances  in  holiness,  must  seek  for  retirement, 
and  must  improve  seasons  when  least  liable  to  interruption. 
As  the  work  is  difficult,  and  requires  the  closest  attention,  so 
it  admits  of  no  diversion.  We  always  desire  retirement  when 
we  have  any  diflicult  subject  under  consideration.  And  what 
business  is  more  important  than  that  we  have  to  transact 
with  God  ? — that  which  concerns  the  immortal  soul,  and  which 
relates  to  the  heart,  which  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and 
desperately  wicked  ? 

APPLICATION. 

In  view  of  the  subject  under  consideration,  I  would  first 
urge  Christians  to  accustom  themselves  to  meditate  on  the 
word  of  God,  that  they  may  perform  all  other  duties  with  in- 
terest. Prayer  without  meditation  will  not  express  the  deep 
feelings  of  the  heart.  And  meditation  without  prayer  does 
not  produce  its  legitimate  effects.  When  the  heart  is  properly 
affected  by  meditation,  prayer  is  its  delight.  The  influence  of 
Christians  would  be  greatly  increased,  were  they  to  devote  a 
portion  of  every  day,  or  even  of  every  week,  to  intense  medita- 
tion, on  those  passages  of  Scripture  best  suited  to  correct  what 
is  defective  in  their  life,  or  to  encourage  them  in  the  discharge 


Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6.  175 

of  duty.  How  different  would  be  the  state  of  our  churches, 
were  the  professed  friends  of  God,  instead  of  being  satisfied 
with  the  light  reading  of  the  present  day,  to  direct  their  atten- 
tion to  the  works  of  men  distinguished  for  deep  piety. 

Christians  can  hardly  expect  to  accomplish  much,  unless 
their  prayers  express  the  deep  feelings  of  their  hearts.  And 
they  cannot  experience  that  peace  which  passeth  all  under- 
standing, unless  their  hearts  are  in  a  right  state.  There  are 
many  who  seem  neither  to  enjoy  God  nor  the  world.  It  is  be- 
cause they  neglect,  or  superficially  perform  the  duties  on  which 
their  life  more  especially  depends.  Christians  may,  while  in 
this  world,  if  disposed  to  walk  with  God,  and  to  maintain  con- 
stant intercourse  with  him,  enjoy  a  foretaste  of  heaven. 

It  is  intense  meditation  on  the  word  of  God,  which  deepens 
the  impressions  made  on  the  minds  of  sinners.  To  avoid  being 
seriously  alarmed,  they  avoid  meditation  on  those  truths  best 
suited  to  operate  powerfully  on  their  minds.  But  when  an 
arrow  directed  by  the  Spirit  of  God  penetrates  and  wounds 
their  heart,  then  the  duty  of  meditation,  though  painful  and 
distressing,  they  cannot  neglect.  Can  any  one  who  has  not  a 
good  hope  of  heaven,*dwell  long  on  the  following  passage,  and 
not  be  affected  ?  "  And  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall 
not  see  life ;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him." 

The  sinner,  though  influenced  by  selfish  motives,  may  do 
much  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  God,  of  himself,  and  of  his 
duty.  And  the  Spirit  operates  with  the  truth.  Every  unre- 
newed man  will  confess  that  the  more  he  meditates  on  the 
word  of  God,  the  more  serious  his  mind  is,  and  the  more  anx- 
ious he  is  respecting  his  own  salvation.  It  is  testified  of  the 
Bercans,  that  they  searched  the  Scriptures  daily.  And  it  is 
added,  *'  Therefore  many  of  them  believed  ;  also  of  honorable 


176  Sermon  on  Psalm  Ixiii.  5,  6. 

women  which  were  Greeks,  and  of  men  not  a  few."  Few,  it 
is  believed,  who  meditate  intensely  and  daily  on  the  word  of 
God,  remain  long  at  ease,  or  fail  of  obtaining  a  good  hope  of 
heaven.  Let  it  be  understood,  however,  that  it  is  the  Spirit  of 
God  which  makes  his  word  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  those 
who  make  its  essential  truths  the  subjects  of  their  meditation. 
And  to  Him  be  the  praise.     Amen. 


TAKE  MY  YOKE  UPON  YOU. 

MATTHEW  XI.   29. 

"  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in 
heart ;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls." 

A  coKsciousNEss  of  guilt  always  produces  a  fear  of  evil. 
This  is  the  immediate  consequence.     As  the  punishment  is  ex- 
pected from  the  person  injured,  so  transgressors  endeavor  to 
conceal  themselves,  and  to  flee  from  those  whom  they  have 
offended.      The  greater  their  apprehensions  of  suffering  ac- 
cording to  their  demerits,  the  greater  will  be  their  efforts  to 
escape  from  him,  who  has  power  to  chastise  or  destroy  them. 
Nothing  is  more  distressing  to  the  thoughts  of  a  guilty  person 
than  his  liability  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  person  whom  he 
has  wronged,  and  who  is  able  and  disposed  to  demand  satis- 
faction.    And  the  inability  of  the  malefactor  to  answer  the 
claims  of  justice,  renders  him  desperate.     He  hates  the  per- 
son he  has  without  cause  injured,  and  would,  if  possible,  des- 
troy him.      These  observations  are  applicable  to  all  men  in 
their  natural  state,  who  are  not  so  perfectly  stupid  as  to  be 
entirely  destitute  of  moral  sensibility.     They  are,  in  a  measure, 
likewise  applicable  to  every  thoughtful  and  awakened  sinner 
who  does  not  feel  the  influence  of  renewing  grace,  and  whose 
heart  is  unbelieving.     Returning  to  God,  or  repentance,  seems 
to  him  to  be  giving  himself  up  to  be  punished  and  destroyed 
by  his  justly  and  highly  offended  Sovereign.     God  appears  to 
him  to  be  a  great  and  terrible  enemy.     All  his  purposes  or 
efforts  and  intentions,  however  highly  his  mind  is  excited,  lead 


178  Sermon  on  1  Matthew  xi.  29. 

him  to  search  only  for  relief,  or  for  some  way  by  which  he 
may  escape  from  the  hand  of  justice.  That  illumination  which 
gives  a  sinner  a  view  only  of  his  guilt,  will  always  produce 
such  results.  We  see  him  anxious,  but  whence  does  it  arise  ? 
and  whither  tend  ?  He  is  not  grieved  and  broken-hearted,  be- 
cause he  has  injured  God.  By  no  means.  He  is  troubled,  be- 
cause he  has  exposed  himself  by  his  sins  to  punishment ;  be- 
cause he  is  detected,  and  he  hopes  in  some  way  to  effect  his 
deliverance  from  the  death,  which  his  sins  deserve.  At  one 
time  he  tries  to  hide  his  guilt — at  another  to  excuse  it.  At  one 
time  he  dwells  on  the  imperfection  of  human  nature,  and  the 
power  of  temptation  in  the  present  state — thus  justifying  him- 
self, and  tracing  his  sins  to  God  as  the  cause  ;  at  another  time 
he  pleads  that  he  has  done  all  he  is  able  in  his  attempts  to 
comply  with  the  commands  of  God,  when,  in  fact,  he  has  made 
no  attempt  to  return  to  his  offended  Sovereign,  but  has  only 
labored  to  escape  from  his  hand,  and  found  himself  unable. 
At  one  time  he  blames  God  and  his  servants  because  they  have 
not  given  him  such  strong  views  of  his  situation  as  to  be  suf- 
ficient to  move  him  to  escape  by  his  own  power  and  virtue  the 
wrath  to  come.  Here  it  is  manifest  that  he  still  trusts  in 
himself,  and  refuses  to  give  himself  up  without  reserve  to 
God. 

The  guilty  person  cannot  endure  the  thought  of  meeting  the 
person  whom  he  has  injured.  How  can  he,  unless  extremely 
hardened,  behold  him,  who  cannot  but  look  upon  him  with 
expressions  of  anger  and  scorn?  God  is  angry  with  the 
wicked  every  day.  *'  He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall  laugh 
(that  is  at  the  weakness,  and  folly  of  sinners) — the  Lord  shall 
have  them  in  derision."     To  be  smitten  is  quite  as  tolerable  as 


Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29.  179 

to  be  despised.     The  spirit  of  a  man  will  sustain  his  infirmity  ; 
but  a  wounded  spirit,  who  can  bear  ? 

Now  God,  who  is  infinite  in  knowledge,  in  wisdom,  and  in 
benevolence,  has  devised,  adopted,  and  published  a  method  of 
salvation,  exactly  suited  to  the  wants  of  this  rebellious  world. 
Some  of  its  prominent  features,  as  brought  to  view  in  the  text, 
will  be  noticed  in  this  discourse. 

1.  The  attention  of  the  guilty  and  fearful  are  directed  in  the 
gospel  to  one  in  human  nature— one  born  of  a  woman — one, 
who  at  his  advent  was  a  little  child,  and  one  too  who  died  on 
the  cross,  the  just  for  the  unjust.  Here  is  an  object  which  we 
can  contemplate,  and  of  which  we  can  have  some  idea,  and  on 
which  our  thoughts,  accustomed  to  wander  in  darkness  for  a 
refuge,  may  rest.  All  our  meditations  on  the  attributes  of 
Jehovah,  which  are  discoverable  by  the  light  of  nature,  or  of 
reason,  leave  us  in  total  darkness  with  respect  to  our  salva- 
tion. But  Christ  is  God  manifest  in  flesh.  He  is  the  bright- 
ness of  his  Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person. 

This  is  an  object  we  need  not  fear  to  behold  or  to  approach. 
We  can  look  at  the  holy  child  Jesus,  because  we  discover  in 
his  eye  pity  and  forgiveness,  "  no  terrors  clothe  his  brow." 

It  is  impossible  to  persuade  an  impenitent  sinner,  conscious 
of  his  guilt,  and  terrified  with  apprehensions  of  the  wrath  of 
his  offended  Sovereign,  to  return  to  God  out  of  Christ,  or  to  re- 
turn to  God  as  revealed  by  the  light  of  nature.  But  those  who 
are  farthest  from  God  may  be  encouraged  to  look  to  Jesus,  and 
to  come  to  him.  One  object  of  the  gospel  is  to  make  the  im- 
pression on  the  mind  of  every  one  that  hears  it,  that  God  can 
be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus.  But 
it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  persuade  sinners  that  it  is  safe  for 
them  to  make  a  full  confession  of  their  sins,  and  to  submit 


180  Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29. 

without  reserve  to  Christ.  They  are  afraid  that  in  some  way 
they  shall  fail  of  obtaining  forgiveness.  Men  are  not  willing 
to  bear  witness  against  themselves,  when  their  own  testimony 
is  to  be  the  chief  ground  of  their  condemnation.  The  little 
child  that  has  done  wrong  conceals  his  guilt  as  long  as  possible 
— endeavors  to  excuse  it,  and  to  hide  himself  from  his  offend- 
ed parents.  But  the  fair  prospect  of  pardon,  and  of  being  re- 
stored to  favor,  may  induce  him  to  venture  from  his  secret 
place,  and  to  confess  the  whole  truth. 

It  is  unquestionably  the  fact  that  those  now  in  this  house  who 
are  at  the  greatest  distance  from  God,  and  from  salvation,  are 
kept  in  their  present  state  by  a  groundless  fear  of  returning  to 
God.  Though  they  may  deny  or  excuse  their  guilt ;  find  fault 
with  the  law  of  God,  and  the  doctrines  of  revelation  ;  yet  they 
cannot  extinguish  the  light  of  their  conscience.  They  feel  that 
all  is  not  right.  In  their  sober  moments  they  are  unhappy.  Is 
it  not  so?  You  are  ashamed  and  afraid  to  return  to  God! 
You  are  unbelieving.  You  cannot  believe  that  God  is  dis- 
posed to  forgive  you,  or  that  He  will  behold  you  without  strong 
expressions  of  indignation.  Your  secret  thought  is,  though 
perhaps  you  are  not  sensible  of  it,  should  you  return  to  God, 
He  would  frown  upon  you,  reproach  you,  express  contempt  of 
you,  and  thrust  you  from  his  presence.  It  is  timidity — unrea- 
sonable timidity — the  timidity  of  guilt,  which  keeps  many  from 
God.  The  gospel  is  designed  to  remove  this — to  convince  the 
sinner  that  with  God  there  is  forgiveness,  that  He  may  be 
feared.  It  directs  your  attention  to  the  Lamb  of  God  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 

2.  Hear  now  his  affectionate  address  to  every  one  in  this 
house,  who  is  still  impenitent,  or  who   is  without  any  good 


Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29.  181 

hope  of  salvation.     "  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,"  he  says,  "  and 
learn  of  me." 

The  meaning  of  the  first  of  these  clauses  is  easily  as- 
certained. Though  it  may  be  impossible  to  obtain  justifica- 
tion by  the  deeds  of  the  law  ;  though  the  sinner  may  despair 
of  discharging  the  debt  he  owes  to  God,  yet  there  is  a  way  in 
which  he  may  obtain  justification,  and  in  which  he  may  be 
restored  to  the  friendship  of  his  offended  Sovereign.  Make 
no  attempt,  is  the  direction  of  Christ,  to  the  anxious  sinner,  to 
work  out  a  righteousness  of  your  own.  This  is  impossible.  But 
receive  my  gospel — join  yourself  to  me — trust  in  me — follov; 
me — submit  to  my  authority.  I  have  magnified  the  Divine 
law,  and  made  it  honorable.  I  am  the  end  of  the  law  for 
righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth.  All  the  difficult 
parts  of  the  work,  to  which  you  are  called,  I  have  finished. 
What  remains  is  easy  and  light  to  every  one,  who  is  disposed 
to  do  any  thing  for  God.  Nothing  is  required,  which  the  per- 
son, who  has  any  right  feelings  would  be  willing  to  neglect. 
A  life  of  faith  is  a  life  of  peace  and  joy.  But  the  way  of 
transgressors  is  hard. 

The  Christian  finds  nothing  unreasonable  in  any  of  the  re- 
quirements of  the  gospel.  He  would  by  no  means  alter  those 
precepts  which  most  condemn  his  practice.  A  very  short  ex- 
perience convinces  him  that  his  Lord  is  ever  ready  to  impart 
grace  as  it  is  needed.  All,  without  one  exception,  who  have 
received  the  gospel,  are  ready  to  testify  that  its  commands  are 
not  grievous. 

2.  The  second  clause  of  the  direction  of  Christ,  Learn  of 

me,  undoubtedly  has  this  meaning.     Look  to  me  for  light — for 

knowledge — for  wisdom  in  the  performance  of  duty.      Look 

to  me  for  all  the  instruction  you  need,  and  imitate  my  holy 
12 


182  Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29. 

example.  Willingness  to  be  led  and  to  be  taught  by  Christ, 
are  evidences  of  true  piety.  Those  who  have  an  obedient 
spirit  are  ready  to  keep  the  commands  of  their  Lord.  They 
always  submit  their  will  to  his  commands,  feeling  that  he  has 
a  perfect  right  to  their  service.  Putting  no  trust  in  their  own 
wisdom  and  knowledge,  they  reverence  the  instructions  of 
Christ,  as  of  infinite  value. 

3.  I  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  the  arguments  by  which 
Christ  would  persuade  every  sinner  to  come  to  him.  These 
are  exactly  suited  to  meet  his  case,  and  to  give  us  a  most  in- 
teresting view  of  the  character  of  our  divine  Lord. 

1.  Such  is  the  natural  disposition  of  mankind,  if  we  except 
those  who  have  been  renewed,  that  when  one  has  been  in- 
jured, he  always  is  offended,  and  seeks  satisfaction.  This  ob- 
servation is  applicable  to  societies  and  nations,  as  well  as  to 
individuals.  The  guilty  consequently  look  for  punishment,  if 
detected,  and  if  the  person  injured  have  power  to  inflict  it. 
The  injured  person  looks  with  scorn  on  the  person  who  has 
wronged  him.  The  guilty  expect  rough  treatment  from  those 
whom  they  have  offended.  They  seem  to  have  a  conscious- 
ness of  inferiority  when  conscious  of  guilt. 

To  such  as  have  been  accustomed  to  receive  rough  treat- 
ment from  those  they  have  injured,  and  who  are  afraid  to  re- 
turn to  God,  because  they  have  offended  Him,  Christ  presents 
this  motive,  for  /  am  meek  and  loxnhj,  i.  e.,  mild,  gentle,  piti- 
ful, and  forgiving. 

Fear  not,  then,  anxious  sinner,  to  come  to  Christ,  for  he  is 
meek.  Behold  him,  there  is  nothing  revengeful  in  his  spirit ; 
when  reviled  he  reviled  not  again  ;  when  on  the  cross,  he 
offered  this  prayer,  *'  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do."     See  him  weeping  over  Jerusalem,  the  abode 


Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29.  183 

of  his  most  bitter  enemies  ;  hear  his  lamentation,  "  O  Jerusa- 
lem, Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest 
them,  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gath- 
ered thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chick- 
ens under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !" 

"  He  was  oppressed,  and  he  was  afflicted,  yet  he  opened  not 
his  mouth  ;  he  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as 
a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  openeth  not  his 
mouth."  "  He  came  not  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world, 
but  that  the  world  through  him  might  be  saved."  He  is  lowly 
as  well  as  meek.  This  spirit  of  superiority  and  pride,  which 
the  guilty  are  accustomed  to  discover  in  those  whom  they 
have  injured,  is  not  exhibited  by  Christ  even  to  the  chief  of 
sinners,  who  are  troubled  on  account  of  their  transgressions. 

How  can  we  but  admire  the  disposition  and  spirit  manifest- 
ed by  our  divine  Lord  towards  thoughtful  and  anxious  sin- 
ners, even  the  most  guilty  !  "Be  not  afraid  to  come  unto  me, 
and  take  my  yoke  upon  you,"  he  says  to  those  who  are  most 
deserving  of  the  wrath  of  God.  Come  unto  me,  for  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart,  altogether  unlike  your  fellow-creatures, 
whom  you  have  offended.  You  have  reason  to  be  afraid  of 
men,  whom  you  have  injured ;  but  you  need  not  hesitate  to 
return  to  God,  whose  laws  you  have  broken.  The  argument, 
for  I  am  meek  and  lowly,  removes  one  class  of  obstacles  to  the 
repentance  of  sinners — all  those  objections  and  excuses  which 
arise  from  a  comparison  of  Christ  with  men,  who  are  revenge- 
ful in  their  spirit,  and  disposed  to  censure  without  mercy  the 
faulty.  Such  is  the  love,  the  intense  love  of  Christ  to  perish- 
ing sinners,  that  he  goes  to  those  farthest  from  him,  i.  e.,  far- 
thest from  him  by  their  sins,  and  with  meekness  and  humility, 
bids  them  return  to  him  without  fear  of  reproach,  censure,  or 


184  Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29. 

scorn.  Here,  let  it  be  understood,  the  timidity  of  the  sinner  is 
in  proportion  to  his  distance  from  God,  This  is  true  with  res- 
pect to  all  who  begin  to  be  anxious. 

The  first  thought  of  returning  to  God  is  accompanied  with 
fear.  The  distance  between  the  sinner  and  God  is  fearful ; 
the  work  to  be  performed  appears  to  be  great — too  great  to 
be  accomplished.  His  feelings  are  not  in  some  respects  un- 
like the  feelings  of  the  man  who  has  enlisted  as  a  soldier, 
when  about  for  the  first  time  to  enter  the  field  of  battle  ;  or  the 
feelings  of  the  man  who  is  about  to  cross  the  ocean  for  the 
first  time.  The  wise  and  prudent  commander  always  en- 
deavors to  quiet  their  fears  by  his  kind  and  aflfectionate  de- 
portment. How  ought  we  to  admire  the  wisdom  of  Christ 
exhibited  in  the  argument,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly !  used  to 
persuade  sinners — even  the  chief — to  return  to  God  1 

2.  The  second  argument  oftered,  seems  to  be  of  sufficient 
weight  to  decide  a  doubting  mind. 

"And  ye  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls,"  he  says  to  the  anx- 
ious sinner.  This  is  assurance.  There  is  no  doubt  intimated. 
It  is  not  high  probability  that  is  to  persuade.  This  is  all  the 
officer  can  offer  to  the  timid  soldier,  that  he  probably  will 
escape  death,  and  be  victorious  ;  this  is  all  that  can  be  said 
to  the  trembling  seaman,  when  the  broad  ocean  is  before  him, 
and  the  land  disappears. 

No  one  can  excuse  his  hesitation  with  the  plea,  should  I 
repent  and  come  to  Christ,  it  is  doubtful  whether  I  should  find 
rest  to  my  soul.  It  is  the  secret  thought  of  some,  there  is  no 
mercy  for  them.  They  believe  that  they  are  willing  to  return 
to  God,  but  persuade  themselves  that  he  is  not  willing  to  par- 
don them.  They  believe  that  they  are  desirous  of  enjoying 
religion,  but  cannot  obtain  it.      It  is  true  there  are  many  who 


Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29.  185 

are  desirous  of  being  delivered  from  the  fear  of  future  misery, 
and  of  obtaining  the  hope  of  future  happiness.  Such  desires 
are  common  to  all  men — to  the  most  immoral  ;  to  infidels  and 
atheists  as  well  as  to  real  Christians.  What  virtue,  it  may 
be  asked,  can  there  be  in  such  desires,  when  they  are  closely 
connected  with  a  determination  to  remain  in  sin,  in  unbelief, 
and  impenitence  ?  Such  inquiries  as  the  following  may  now 
be  proposed  to  those  who  believe  they  desire  religion,  and 
who  believe  that  there  is  something  good  in  their  feelings. 
Are  you  grieved  on  account  of  the  injury  you  have  done  to 
God — to  his  beloved  Son,  and  to  your  fellow-creatures  ?  Are 
you  troubled  at  all  on  account  of  your  transgressions,  your 
numerous  transgressions  of  the  Divine  law — your  neglect — 
your  long  neglect  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  ?  Are  you  desirous 
of  being  restored  to  the  service  of  God,  that  you  may  render 
to  him  his  due  ?  If  the  rights  and  claims  of  God,  and  of  His 
Son,  and  the  injuries  you  have  done  to  them  are  overlooked, 
or  are  considered  of  less  importance  than  your  own  happi- 
ness, then  there  can  be  nothing  good  in  your  anxiety,  and  no 
commencement  in  it  of  a  return  to  your  offended  Sovereign. 
The  way  to  life  is  straight  and  short.  You  have  not  far  to 
travel,  if  you  only  choose  the  right  way.  But  you  may  travel 
for  years  in  the  paths  of  error — -self  being  the  point  from 
which  you  start,  and  to  which  you  aim  ;  and  you  may  never 
reach  heaven. 

If  grieved  and  broken-hearted  on  account  of  the  injury  you 
have  done  to  God,  and  to  His  Son,  I  am  authorized  to  say  that 
you  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls.  If  Christ  appears  pre- 
cious to  you  as  one  who  saves  from  sin,  and  if  he  appears  so 
lovely  that  your  heart  is  drawn  toward  him,  then  be  assured 
you  are  his.      If  in  your  prayers,  your  chief  desires  are  that 


186  Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29. 

the  kingdom  of  God  may  come,  then  may  you  conclude  that 
they  are  heard.  Become  one  with  Christ  in  spirit,  in  purpose, 
and  in  interest,  and  you  may  hope  to  be  joint  heirs  with  him  to 
an  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not 
away. 

The  rest  which  Christ  gives  is  not  merely  relief  from  dis- 
tress, arising  from  deliverance  from  the  fear  of  future  punish- 
ment, and  from  the  hope  of  future  happiness.  This,  it  is  ap- 
prehended, is  all  the  relief  many  experience.  This  is  ruinous. 
When  the  mind  of  any  one  has  been  in  a  high  degree  of  ex- 
citement, and  it  is  quieted  with  a  false  hope,  the  case  of  that  in- 
dividual is  almost  desperate.  This  false  hope  becomes  so 
deeply  rooted  as  to  remain  usually  till  death.  The  rest  which 
Christ  gives  is  deliverance  from  the  tyranny  and  the  slavery 
of  sin.  It  is  a  rest  which  is  connected  with  delight  and  activ- 
ity in  the  service  of  God,  and  which  is  connected  with  the 
hope  of  perfect  holiness  as  well  as  happiness. 

APPLICATION. 

1.  There  are  some  in  this  house  who  have  a  hope  that  they 
have  taken  Christ's  yoke  upon  them,  and  that  they  have  ex- 
perienced that  rest  which  he  gives  to  all  who  come  to  him. 
Does  Christ  now  appear  to  you  meek  and  lowly  ?  amiable  in 
his  whole  character,  and  altogether  excellent  ?  If  really  his 
.disciples,  you  are  daily  coming  to  him,  and  learning  of  him. 
If  his  disciples,  he  is  revealed  to  you  by  his  Spirit.  And  the 
view  which  you  have  of  him  is  transforming.  To  be  a  Christian, 
and  not  to  be  like  your  Lord  is  impossible.  If  you  have  tasted 
and  seen  that  he  is  good,  you  can  never  be  satisfied  to  be  sepa- 
rated from  him.     The  Christian  is  either  rejoicing  in  the  pres- 


Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29.  187 

ence  of  Christ,  or  mourning  hi.s  absence.  The  light  which  is 
within  him  can  never  be  extinguished ;  the  life  commenced 
in  his  soul  can  never  be  destroyed. 

It  is  a  view  of  Christ  which  produces  that  sweetness  of  tem- 
per which  we  cannot  but  admire  in  the  real  convert.  This 
is  the  pattern  to  which  you  must  look,  and  to  which  you  must 
look  constantly.  However  great  the  change  experienced 
by  any  one,  if  not  conformed  to  this  model,  it  can  be  of  no 
avail. 

2.  There  may  be  some  in  this  house  who  are  far  from  God, 
and  who,  though  unwilling  to  acknowledge  it,  are  conscious 
that  vast  mountains  rise  between  them  and  their  offended  Sov- 
ereign. Some  are  without  hope,  who  are  far  advanced  in 
life.  Others  have  been  thoughtless — perhaps  immoral,  and 
perhaps  have  made  light  of  religion.  If  you  contemplate 
the  attributes  of  God,  and  overlook  Christ,  the  work  you 
are  required  to  perform  will  appear  to  be  of  such  magni- 
tude that  you  will  never  attempt  it.  Despair  will  settle  on 
your  mind,  and  this  will  prevent  all  exertions.  But  if  you 
fasten  your  thoughts  on  Christ  your  work  will  appear  less 
difficult. 

The  journey  to  be  performed  will  appear  to  be  short,  and 
God  will  appear  to  be  near ;  every  valley  will  appear  to  be 
exalted,  and  every  mountain  and  hill  will  appear  to  be  made 
low;  the  crooked  ways  will  appear  to  be  made  straight,  and 
the  rough  places  plain. 

Look  unto  Jesus.  What  is  there  terrific  in  his  counte- 
nance ?  Behold  him  !  He  is  meek  and  lowly  in  heart.  Look 
at  him  !  the  tear  in  his  eye  is  the  tear  of  pity  ;  the  sorrow  in 
his  countenance  is  occasioned  by  his  deep  feelings  of  compas- 
sion for  sinners.     Behold  him  dying  on  the  cross  !      However 


188  Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29. 

formidable  he  may  have  appeared  to  you  as  an  enemy,  justly 
offended,  you  cannot  be  afraid  to  approach  him,  when  you  see 
him  dying,  and  when  you  find  too,  that  you  have  prevailed 
against  him.  Here  you  may  have  a  view  of  your  guilt ;  here 
you  may  discover  what  you  have  done,  and  how  you  must  be 
saved,  if  saved  at  all. 

3.  There  are  some  in  the  midst  of  life,  and  devoted  to  the 
world  who,  through  the  pride  of  their  heart,  will  not  seek 
after  God,  and  who  are  far  from  him.  If  this  would  procure 
your  salvation,  you  would  not  hesitate  to  give  large  sums  of 
money  for  a  good  hope  of  heaven ;  you  would  not  refuse  to 
perform  a  long  pilgrimage,  you  would  even  go  to  the  stake.  But 
to  how  your  heart  to  one  who  was  the  son  of  a  carpenter — 
who  was  a  man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief — who 
had  not  where  to  lay  his  head — who  possessed  neither  the 
treasures  of  the  world,  nor  obtained  its  honors — whose  king- 
dom is  spiritual,  here  is  the  difficult}'.  This  seems  to  be  too 
much.  And  it  is  still  a  greater  sacrifice  to  kneel  before  him, 
and  to  confess  that  you  deserve  death — to  look  to  him,  and  to 
depend  on  him  alone  for  pardon. 

But  consider  that  he  is  meek  and  lowly  in  heart.  Consider 
too,  that  you  must  bow  or  perish.  There  is  no  other  alterna- 
tive. For  there  is  no  other  name  given  under  heaven  among 
men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved.  You  now  have  your  choice. 
*'  He  that  covereth  his  sins  shall  not  prosper  ;  but  he  that  con- 
fesseth  and  forsaketh  them  shall  find  mercy."  "Verily,  I  say 
unto  you.  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God 
as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter  therein."  (Mark  x.  15.) 

You  cannot  go  from  this  house,  sinner,  without  receiving, 
or  once  more  rejecting  the  offer  of  mercy.  Can  you  again 
turn  your  back  upon  him  who  has  all  this  day  been  weeping 


Sermon  on  Matthew  xi.  29.  189 

over  you  ?  Can  you  longer  resist  the  Holy  Spirit  that  has 
been  striving  with  you.  and  laboring  to  effect  your  salvation  ? 
My  Spirit,  saith  Jehovah,  shall  not  al  ways  strive  with  man. 
Be  persuaded  to  seek  the  Lord  now,  while  he  may  be  found, 
and  to  call  upon  him  now  he  is  near. 


HEAVEN. 

JOHN  XVII.  24. 

"  Father,  I  will  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me 
where  I  am ;  that  they  may  behold  my  glory,  which  thou  hast  given  me  :  for 
thou  lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of  the  world." 


After  Jesus  had  for  the  last  time  partaken  of  the  Passover 
with  his  disciples,  having  previously  said  to  them  that  he 
should  soon  leave  them,  and  also  leave  the  world,  and  perceiv- 
ing how  deeply  this  information  affected  them,  he  addressed 
them  in  the  most  affectionate  manner,  to  prepare  them  for  the 
trials  through  which  he  knew  they  would  be  called  to  pass. 

When  he  had  finished  his  address,  and  probably  before  he 
left  the  guest  chamber,  he  offered  that  fervent  prayer  recorded 
in  the  chapter  from  which  the  text  has  been  taken. 

Though  about  to  be  separated  from  his  beloved  disciples, 
who  had  been  a  long  time  with  him,  it  was  his  desire  and 
prayer  that  they  might  all  meet  in  heaven,  and  all  dwell 
together  there  forever.  Their  labors  and  trials,  though  severe, 
he  knew  would  be  of  short  duration,  and  not  worthy  of  a  sigh 
or  a  tear,  when  they  had  a  bright  view  of  their  inheritance 
beyond  the  grave. 

Jesus  prayed  not  only  for  his  disciples,  who  had  been  his 
companions  during  his  ministry,  but  for  all  true  believers,  and 
for  all  who  should  afterward,  in  any  part  of  the  world,  believe 
on  him.  His  prayer  we  are  sure  will  be  answered.  None 
who  trust  in  him  will  be  lost. 


Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24.  191 

Much  as  Jesus  loved  his  disciples,  and  much  as  they  loved 
him,  he  did  not  pray  that  they  might  leave  the  world  with  him, 
and  then  obtain  possession  of  the  inheritance  he  had  purchased 
for  them.  He  had  important  work  for  them  to  do,  which  he 
knew  would  expose  them  to  violent  opposition  and  cruel  per- 
secution. He  knew  that  some  would  suffer  a  martyr's  death. 
Their  love  of  him  who  gave  his  life  to  redeem  them,  made  them 
anxious  to  do  what  they  could  to  express  their  gratitude  to 
him,  and  to  extend  his  kingdom  in  the  world.  They  were 
willing  to  suffer,  and  to  expose  their  lives  in  circumstances 
which  enabled  them  to  give  decided  proofs  of  their  love  of  their 
Master,  and  their  firm  belief  of  the  truths  of  his  Gospel.  They 
needed  trials  to  humble  them,  and  to  keep  them  near  to  God. 
And  they  needed  trials  to  prepare  them,  and  to  make  them 
willing  to  leave  the  world. 

After  his  resurrection,  when  Jesus  had  showed  himself  alive 
to  his  disciples  by  many  infallible  proofs,  being  seen  of  them 
forty  days,  and  speaking  of  the  things  pertaining  to  the  king- 
dom of  God,  "  while  they  beheld,  he  was  taken  up,  and  a  cloud 
received  him  out  of  their  sight.  And  while  they  looked  stead- 
fastly toward  heaven,  as  he  went  up,  behold,  two  men  stood 
by  them  in  white  apparel,  which  also  said,  Ye  men  of  Galilee, 
why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven  ?  The  same  Jesus  which 
is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  man- 
ner as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven."  "  Behold,"  said  the 
apostle  John,  "  he  cometh  with  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall 
see  him,  and  they  also  which  pierced  him,  and  all  the 
kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him."     (Rev.  i.  7.) 

Who  can  have  any  adequate  conception  of  the  triumphal 
entrance  of  Jesus  into  heaven,  after  he  had  successfully  per- 
formed the  part  assigned  him  on  the  earth,  in  the  work  of 


192  Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24. 

redemption  ? — a  work  far  more  difficult,  more  important  and 
more  glorious  than  the  work  of  creation.  A  great  company 
of  holy  angels  attended  him,  when  he  came  down  from  heaven, 
and  were  ready  to  bid  him  welcome  on  his  return.  His  gar- 
ments of  humiliation  were  thrown  off,  and  he  appeared  in  his 
robe  of  glory.  All  the  hosts  of  heaven  rejoiced  and  shouted  his 
praise,  when  he  again  was  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  when  his 
Father  bid  him  welcome,  and  gave  him  a  seat  at  his  right  hand. 

The  following  passage  is  descriptive  of  the  praise  and  wor- 
ship he  received  after  he  entered  heaven,  whether  at  the  very 
time  of  his  arrival  or  afterward  the  Scriptures  do  not  inform 
us,  nor  is  this  material. 

"  And  I  beheld,"  said  John,  "  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  many 
angels,  round  about  the  throne,  and  the  beasts  (or  living  crea- 
tures) and  the  elders :  and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thou- 
sand times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands,  saying 
with  a  loud  voice.  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to 
receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing.  And  every  creature  which  is 
in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as 
are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them  heard  I  saying,  Bless-- 
ing,  and  glory,  and  honor,  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever.  And 
the  four  living  creatures  said.  Amen,  and  the  four  and  twenty 
elders  fell  down  and  worshiped  him  that  liveth  forever  and 
ever." 

As  heaven  is  the  place  to  which  our  Redeemer  and  Lord  has 
gone,  where  he  now  is,  and  which  will  be  the  final  home  of 
all  true  believers,  you,  my  brethren,  may  desire  to  know  all 
that  may  be  known  of  your  future  home,  your  companions, 
your  employments  and  your  enjoyments. 


Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24.  193 

I.  The  location  of  heaven.  With  respect  to  the  location  of 
heaven,  we  can  only  saj^  heaven  is  where  Christ  is.  It  is 
above  and  beyond  the  place  where  we  now  dwell.  Christ 
came  down  from  heaven,  and  ascended  up  to  heaven.  It  is 
where  there  are  no  terrific  storms,  no  chilling  blasts  of  winter, 
no  scorching  heat  of  summer,  no  pains,  no  diseases,  no  quarrels, 
no  wars,  no  calamities  of  any  kind,  no  death. 

Now  as  the  earth  daily  revolves  on  its  axis,  and  yearly 
round  the  sun,  when  we  look  toward  heaven  we  look  above 
the  earth.  When  Jesus  ascended  he  was  seen  to  go  up  in  a 
cloud  from  the  earth.  But  the  place  in  the  heavens  which  is 
high  above  us  at  noon,  is  far  below  us  at  midnight,  and  the 
latter  place  may  be  at  a  vast  distance  from  the  former.  Great 
is  the  velocity  with  which  the  earth  moves  in  its  orbit  round 
the  sun.  Wherever  we  are  on  the  earth's  surface,  whether 
in  America  or  Africa,  Europe  or  Asia,  we  are  equally  near  to 
heaven,  and  equally  near  to  our  Saviour.  Though  we  see  him 
not,  he  sees  us  every  moment,  by  night  and  by  day,  knows 
everything  we  do,  everything  we  say,  and  all  our  thoughts. 
In  every  part  of  the  world,  where  two  or  three  are  met 
together  in  his  name,  there  he  is  in  the  midst  of  them — only  a 
thin  curtain  conceals  him  from  them.  His  people,  when  met 
for  prayer,  often  have  proof  of  his  presence  by  his  Spirit. 

The  law  of  attraction,  which  draws  the  planets  toward  the 
sun  in  the  solar  system,  and  all  bodies  on  and  near  the  earth's 
surface  towards  its  centre,  is  not  felt  bj^  the  souls  of  men  when 
separated  from  their  material  bodies.  The  solar  system,  with 
its  law  of  attraction,  may  in  some  particulars  afford  an  illus- 
tration of  things  in  the  invisible  and  spiritual  world.  In  the 
invisible  and  spiritual  world  Christ  is  the  Glorious  Sun — the 
centre  to  which  all  holy  beings  are  attracted.     He  is  the  light 


194  Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24. 

of  heaven,  the  invisible  God  manifest  in  human  nature.  Holy 
angels  delight  to  behold  him,  and  to  dwell  on  the  great  work 
he  has  accomplished  for  the  redemption  of  men.  When  the 
world  was  created,  "the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  all 
the  sons  of  God  shoufid  for  joy."  (Job  xxxvii.  7.)  They  saw 
with  wonder  and  delight,  displayed  in  the  work  of  creation, 
the  power,  the  wisdom,  and  the  goodness  of  God.  Men  most  dis- 
tinguished for  the  power  of  their  minds,  who  have  devoted  their 
whole  lives  to  the  study  of  the  laws  of  the  visible  world,  are 
forced  to  confess  that  they  have  but  just  entered  the  threshold, 
so  much  remains  to  be  known.  The  greater  the  attainments 
made  in  the  study  of  any  of  the  works  of  God,  the  less  they 
appear  when  compared  with  what  might  be  obtained,  if  life 
should  be  sufficiently  prolonged.  The  work  of  redemption 
will  never  be  fully  understood  in  the  future  world.  Wonder 
will  perpetually  succeed  wonder  without  end.  The  mystery  of 
the  Trinity,  the  three  persons  equally  interested  in  the  work  of 
redemption,  saints  and  angels  will  never  cease  to  contemplate 
with  the  most  exalted  thoughts  of  God.  The  work  of  redemp- 
tion gives  us  more  enlarged  and  adoring  views  of  the  charac- 
ter of  God  than  his  work  of  creation. 

In  heaven  the  law  of  attraction  is  the  law  of  love,  by  which 
all  the  redeemed  will  be  drawn  toward  their  Lord,  and  will  be 
kept  from  ever  departing  from  him.  His  love  will  be  mutual 
between  him  and  all  his  people.  His  love  is  infinitely  power- 
ful, and  shed  abroad  in  their  hearts,  will  enable  them  to  love 
him  with  all  their  powers.  The  stronger  their  love  of  their 
Redeemer,  the  greater  will  be  their  happiness.  Of  the 
multitude  of  the  redeemed,  whose  home  is  heaven,  no  two 
will  probabl}'^  be  equally  near  to  their  Lord,  because  there 
will   be  some  difference  in  the  strength  of  their  love.      Some 


Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24.  195 

have  done  more  and  suffered  more  in  the  service  of  their  Lord 
and  Master.  "When  John  in  vision  saw  some  arrayed  in  vv^hite 
robes,  and  was  desirous  of  knowing  who  they  were,  one  of  the 
elders  said  to  him,  "These  are  they  which  came  out  of  great 
tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white 
in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Therefore  are  they  before  the 
throne  of  God,  and  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple,  and 
he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among  them." 

As  soon  as  the  spirit  of  the  Christian  leaves  his  body,  and  is 
free  from  the  influence  of  that  law  which  keeps  him  on  the 
earth,  the  attraction  of  the  law  of  love  draws  him  toward 
heaven,  the  home  of  his  Saviour.  On  rapid  wing  he  is  borne 
to  the  arms  of  him  who  gave  his  life  to  purchase  his  redemp- 
tion. 

Christ  appears  to  occupy  a  central  place,  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne,  and  of  the  four  living  creatures,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
elders,  and  to  be  surrounded  by  a  great  multitude,  who  never 
cease  to  adore  and  worship  him. 

He  receives  equal  honor  with  his  Father.  We  are  required 
to  honor  him  as  we  honor  the  Father.  All  the  angels  are 
commanded  to  worship  him.  "All  things,"  he  said,  when  on 
earth,  "are  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father;  and  no  man 
knowcth  the  Son  but  the  Father,  neither  knoweth  any  man 
the  Father  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will 
reveal  him."  (Matt.  xi.  27.)  An  infinite  Spirit  cannot  be 
seen.  By  his  works  and  his  revelations  we  may  obtain  a 
knowledge  of  his  attributes,  and  his  character,  his  purposes, 
and  the  principles  of  his  government.  Christ  is  himself  the 
most  perfect  revelation  God  has  given  of  his  character  and 
purposes.  He  is  declared  to  be  the  brightness  of  his  Father's 
glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person.      "  It  hath  pleased 


196  Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24. 

his  Father  that  in  him  should  all  fullness  dwell."  (Col.  i.  19.) 
When  on  earth  but  few  rays  of  his  Divinity  appeared ;  but  in 
heaven  he  appears  to  be  all  glorious. 

The  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which  we  find  in  the 
21st  chapter  of  the  book  of  Revelations,  is  doubtless  figurative, 
designed  to  convince  us  that  the  place  where  the  redeemed  will 
forever  dwell  with  their  adored  Lord,  is  the  most  splendid  and 
delightful  in  the  universe.  It  will  be  far  more  beautiful 
and  magnificent  than  any  city  that  ever  has  been  or  can  be> 
should  all  the  most  precious  stones  ever  found  be  collected, 
and  used  in  building  it.  The  high  walls  denote  the  security 
of  those  who  dwell  in  the  city.  As  the  redeemed  will  dwell 
together  as  social  beings,  so  they  are  represented  as  dwelling 
together  in  a  city  of  sufficient  extent  to  include  them.  "And 
I  saw,"  said  John,  "  no  temple  therein,  for  the  Lord  God 
Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it.  And  the  city  had 
no  need  of  the  sun  nor  of  the  moon  to  shine  in  it,  for  the  glory 
of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof." 

"  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered  into 
the  heart  of  man,  the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them 
that  love  him."  Our  loftiest  conceptions  of  the  glory  of  heaven 
must  fall  far  below  the  reality.  How  great  must  be  the 
change  experienced  by  the  christian,  when  he  leaves  the  world 
and  enters  heaven ! 

IL  Another  inquiry  naturally  suggested  to  the  mind  when 
meditating  on  the  Scripture  account  of  heaven,  is  the  follow- 
ing :  What  may  be  known  of  the  society  which  the  redeemed 
will  enjoy  in  that  holy  place  ? 

The  person  seen  above  and  more  glorious  than  all  others, 
will  be  their  beloved  and  adored  Redeemer  and  Lord.  He  will 
appear  as  he  appeared  to  Peter  and  James  and  John,  when 


Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24.  197 

transfigured,  only  far  more  glorious.  These  disciples  were 
then  terrified  and  overpowered.  Their  bodies  were  frail,  and 
they  were  not  perfectly  sanctified.  They  fell  upon  their  faces 
and  were  sore  afraid,  when  they  had  but  an  imperfect  view  of 
the  glory  in  which  Christ  appears  in  heaven.  His  face  then 
shone  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  was  so  white  and  glistening 
that  no  fuller  on  earth  could  whiten  it.  When  a  cloud  over- 
shadowed them,  there  came  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  saying, 
"  This  is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  After 
the  resurrection  of  their  bodies  the  redeemed  will  be  like  their 
Lord. 

"  Beloved,"  said  the  apostle  John,  "  now  are  we  the  sons  of 
God,  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be ;  but  we 
know  that  when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  him  ;  for  we 
shall  see  him  as  he  is."     (1  John  iii.  2.) 

In  the  humiliation  of  Christ,  the  unbelieving  Jews,  blinded 
by  the  god  of  this  world,  saw  no  beauty  in  him  that  they  should 
desire  him.  Their  hearts  were  opposed  to  his  holy  character. 
When  giving  them  the  strongest  proofs  of  his  love  of  them— 
giving  his  life  to  save  them  from  everlasting  death,  they 
reviled  him,  treated  him  with  contempt,  and  rejoiced  in  his 
sufferings. 

Intense  meditation  on  the  glory,  the  works  and  the  doctrine 
of  Christ,  while  in  our  present  state,  has  a  transforming  influ- 
ence on  our  character,  strengthens  our  faith,  increases  our  love, 
and  fills  us  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  Those 
whose  views  are  most  spiritual,  occasionally  obtain  glimpses 
of  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  for  a  season  have  a  foretaste  of  the 
joys  of  heaven. 

"  We  are,"  said  the  apostle  to  the  Corinthians,  "  with  open 

face,  beholding   as  in  a    glass  the  glory  of  the   Lord,   are 
13 


198  Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24. 

changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord."     (2  Cor.  iii.  18.) 

Christ  will  appear  in  heaven  in  the  midst  of  the  redeemed, 
constantly  revealing  himself  more  and  more  perfectly  to  them  ; 
and  they  will  become  more  and  more  like  him.  When  present 
in  his  church  on  earth  by  his  Spirit,  his  people  enjoy  refresh- 
ing seasons,  all  their  graces  are  invigorated,  and  their  hope  of 
future  happiness  and  glory  is  bright.  Though  he  will  appear 
in  heaven  in  the  glory  of  his  Father,  having  accomplished  the 
work  assigned  him  in  the  plan  of  redemption,  and  having  tri- 
umphed over  all  the  powers  of  darkness,  yet  he  will  appear  so 
condescending  and  lovely,  that  the  redeemed  will  approach 
him  with  as  much  freedom  as  that  with  which  his  disciples 
approached  him  when  he  was  with  them  in  the  \vorld.  It 
seemed  to  be  the  belief  of  the  apostle  Paul,  that  as  soon  as  he 
left  the  body  he  should  be  with  Christ.  "  For,"  he  said,  "  I  am 
in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  desire  to  depart  and  to  be 
with  Christ,  which  is  far  better.  We  are  confident  and  will- 
ing, he  said,  to  be  absent  from  the  body,  and  to  be  present  with 
the  Lord." 

The  most  perfect  freedom  of  intercourse  will  be  enjoyed  by 
the  great  company  of  the  redeemed.  Though  some  will  have 
made  greater  attainments  than  others,  and  shine  brighter  than 
others,  yet  the  more  distinguished  any  are  for  holiness,  the 
more  they  will  be  distinguished  for  humility.  Pride  will  be 
unknown^,  in  heaven.  All  will  feel  that  they  are  indebted  to 
the  distinguishing  grace  of  God  for  the  places  they  occupy — 
that  God  might  have  been  just  in  their  final  condemnation 
and  punishment.  The  recollection  of  their  state  by  nature, 
and  their  continued  opposition  to  the  doctrines  of  grace,  and 
resistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  till  the  power  that  created  them 


Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24.  1 99 

anew  in  Christ  Jesus  will  keep  them  humbled.  As  they  will 
enjoy  the  society  of  the  patriarchs,  the  prophets,  the  apostles, 
the  martyrs,  those  who  were  in  the  world,  rich  and  poor,  high 
and  low,  who  died  young,  and  who  lived  to  old  age,  they  will 
be  able  to  learn  of  them  the  wonderful  and  various  operations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Who  can  read  the  history  of  the  patriarchs  without  a  desire 
to  see  and  converse  with  them  ?— the  Psalms,  without  a  desire 
to  unite  with  David  in  the  praise  of  God  ?— the  hooks  of  the 
Prophets,  without  a  desire  to  see  the  authors  1—the  epistles, 
without  a  desire  to  converse  with  the  apostles  ? — the  book  of 
Revelation,  without  a  desire  that  John  would  explain  the  dark 
passages  we  do  not  now  understand  ?  The  history  of  every 
saint  will  have  some  peculiarities  sufficient  to  fill  a  volume. 
The  histories  of  all  the  redeemed,  if  written,  would  fill  heaven 
with  books.  There  will  be  variety  in  the  experience  of  the 
redeemed  in  heaven,  corresponding  with  their  attainments  in 
this  world. 

If  now  we  consider  the  thousands,  and  tens  of  thousands, 
and  thousands  of  thousands  now  in  heaven,  and  the  vast  mul- 
titude to  be  added  to  them,  the  variety  in  their  experience  of 
the  grace  of  God,  it  must  be  manifest  that  we  never  can  know 
all  that  may  be  known  of  the  wonders  of  redeeming  love. 

Holy  angels  who  are  ministering  spirits  to  the  church  on 
earth,  will  be  the  companions  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven. 
They  will  never  cease  to  feel  an  interest  in  those  whom  they 
assisted  in  their  pilgrimage  in  the  world.  We  know  very 
little  of  the  ministry  of  angels  under  the  present  dispensation, 
as  they  have  not  been  visible,  if  we  except  a  short  period  after 
its  commencement.  We  cannot  doubt  that  their  influence  is 
felt,  that  holy  angels  minister  to  the  righteous,  and  evil  spirits 


200  Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24. 

strengthen  the  evil  propensities  of  the  wicked.  Holy  angels 
will  be  willing  to  communicate  to  the  redeemed  all  they  know 
of  the  part  they  performed   in  their  salvation. 

When  all  the  vast  multitude  in  heaven  unite  with  all  their 
hearts  in  the  worship  of  God,  to  whom  holy  angels  as  well  as 
the  redeemed  are  indebted  for  his  distinguishing  goodness,  how 
powerfully  must  every  one  be  affected !  More  powerful 
impressions  we  know,  are  made  in  a  great  assembly  than  in  a 
social  circle,  where  few  are  met  together. 

III.   The  employments  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven. 

Already  we  have  noticed  some  of  the  employments  of  the 
redeemed. 

The  views  which  some  have  of  the  employments  of  saints 
in  heaven  appear  to  me  to  be  very  imperfect,  and  to  be 
derived  from  their  experience  of  the  most  agreeable  worldly 
employments.  Now,  the  employments  of  this  world  which  are 
most  agreeable,  and  which  men  most  desire,  are  freest  from 
labor,  and  from  all  vigorous  exertion  of  mental  or  physical 
power.  Men  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth  look  forward  to  the 
time  when  they  shall  have  no  occasion  to  labor,  and  shall  be 
able  to  rest  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  their  possessions.  The 
day  laborer  looks  forward  to  the  hour  when  his  work  will  be 
done,  and  he  shall  enjoy  comfortable  repose.  So  the  traveller 
looks  forward  with  satisfaction  to  the  rest  he  expects  to  enjoy 
when  his  journey  is  finished.  But  the  christian  who  has  made 
the  greatest  progress  in  holiness,  thinks  least  of  what  he  has 
done,  and  hopes  when  free  from  his  body  that  he  shall  be  able 
to  serve  God  more  faithfully.  This  desire  to  be  free  from  the 
body  is  not  that  he  may  rest,  but  that  he  may  be  more  active 
than  ever  in  doing  the  will  of  God. 

It  is  true,  christians  when  they  die,  rest  from  their  worldly 


Sermon  on  John  xvil.  24.  201 

labors.  The  Scriptures,  when  they  notice  the  rest  of  the  peo- 
ple of  God,  have  reference  to  the  termination  of  the  labors 
performed  for  their  temporal  support.  Now,  if  the  chief  object 
pursued  by  the  christian  be  perpetual  and  uninterrupted  hap- 
piness, the  hope  of  enjoying  w-hich  sustains  him  in  all  his  tri- 
als, and  moves  him  to  act,  he  is  selfish,  he  may  be  as  selfish  in 
seeking  future  as  present  happiness.*  The  christian  does  not 
desire  heaven  merely  or  chiefly  that  he  may  be  more  happy, 
but  that  he  may  be  free  from  sin,  and  may  more  perfectly 
worship  God.  When  the  exercises  of  his  mind  are  most  pow- 
erful, he  finds  that  he  cannot  do  the  good  he  would. 

"  For  the  good  that  1  would,"  said  the  apostle,  "  I  do  not ; 
but  the  evil  which  I  would  not,  that  I  do."  Now  the  apostle 
had  in  view  more  powerful  exercises  of  his  whole  soul  in  the 
worship  of  God,  when  free  from  the  remains  of  sin.  His  desire 
was  that  he  might  be  free  from  all  sin,  and  all  hindrances, 
that  he  might  worship  God  with  the  most  vigorous  exercise  of 
all  his  powers.  The  trials  the  Christian  experiences  in  this  life 
are  designed  to  promote  the  work  of  sanctification  in  his 
heart — to  enable  him  to  overcome  and  subdue  his  worldly  in- 
clinations— to  draw  him  nearer  to  God,  and  thus  to  qualify 
him  to  worship  Him  more  acceptably.  Why  should  Chris- 
tians desire  to  be  free  from  the  most  salutary  discipline  ordered 
and  directed  by  their  heavenly  Father  ?  "  The  Lord  gave 
and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away,"  said  Job,  "  and  blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord."     The  redeemed  in  heaven  may  have  some 

*  "  Nor  indeed  can  there  be  a  vainer  or  more  absurd  design  and  expectation, 
than  to  aim  immediately  at  delights  and  joys  without  ever  looliing  after  that 
transfoiming,  purifying,  quiclvening  communication  Aoin  God,  in  wliich  he  is 
to  be  enjoyed,  which  is  apparently  the  most  dangerous  and  prejudicial  mistake 
of  many  persons  of  much  pretence  to  religion,  that  dream  and  boast  of  nothing 
else  than  raptures  and  transports,  having  never  yet  known  or  felt  what  the  work 
of  regeneration  or  the  new  creature  means." — Howe,  vol.  1,  p.  324. 

"  They  desire  happiness  without  labor." — A  divine  of  11th  century. 


202  Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24. 

employment  of  which  we  now  have  no  knowledge.  They 
may  with  holy  angels  be  ministering  spirits  to  the  church  till 
the  end  of  the  world. 

Is  there  not  reason  to  believe  that  the  redeemed  in  heaven 
will  pray  as  well  as  praise  till  the  work  of  redemption  is  com- 
pleted ?     It  was  the  observation  of  an  old  and  orthodox  divine 
not  long  since,  that  this  was  his  opinion,  and  that  its  abuse 
was  the  reason  it  was  not  expressed.      If  any  man  have  not 
the  Spirit  of  Christ,  said  the  apostle,  he  is  none  of  his.     Those 
who   are  most  eminent  for  piety  have  most  of  the  spirit  of 
Christ.     Can  we  suppose  that  when  they  leave  the  world,  the 
spirit  of  Christ  will  depart  from  them  ?      Now  the  spirit  of 
Christ  is  a  spirit  of  intercession.     Wherefore,  said  the  apos- 
tle, treating  of  the  priesthood  of  Christ,  he  is  able  also  to  save 
them  to  the  uttermost,  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he 
ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them.      The  spirit  of  in- 
tercession is  a  spirit  of  prayer.      Now,  believers   are  vitally 
united  to  Christ,  as  the  members  of  the  body  to  the  head,  or  as 
the  branch  to  the  vine.     They  are  one  with  him.     His  Spirit 
dwells  in  them.     When  he  intercedes  for  his  church  on  earth, 
and  for  all  given  to  him  by  his  Father,  may  we  not  conclude 
that  all  the  redeemed  in  heaven  will  be  united  with  him  by 
his  Spirit  in  the  intercession  ?      Can  the  redeemed  when  they 
enter  heaven  forget  those  they  left  behind?     Can  parents  for- 
get  their   children — children   their    parents — husbands    their 
wives,  or  wives  their  husbands — brothers  their  sisters,  or  sis- 
ters their  brothers  ?      Can  faithful   pastors  forget  those  for 
whose  salvation  they  labored   and    prayed  ;    some  of  whom 
were  converted  by  their  ministry  ? 

The  following  passages  we  find  in  the  revelations  of  things 
in  heaven  made  to  the  apostle  John.      "  And  another   angel 


Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24.  203 

came  and  stood  before  the  altar,  having  a  golden  censer ;  and 
there  was  given  him  much  incense  that  he  should  offer  it  with 
the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  the  golden  altar,  which  was  be- 
fore the  throne,  and  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  which  came 
with  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  before  God  out  of 
the  angels  hand."  (Rev.  viii.  4.)  "  And  when  he  had  opened 
the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that 
were  slain  for  the  Word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which 
they  held :  and  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  How  long,  0 
Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood 
on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  ?  And  white  robes  were 
given  unto  every  one  of  them,  and  it  was  said  unto  them,  that 
they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow- 
servants  also,  and  their  brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as  they 
were,  should  be  fulfilled."  (Rev.  vi.  9, 10,  11.)  In  this  last  pas- 
sage there  is  a  prayer  offered  with  earnestness  by  those  who 
had  been  slain,  and  whose  souls  were  in  heaven.  (See  Rev. 
xix.  10.) 

When  pious  friends  are  removed  from  us  by  death,  it  must 
afford  much  consolation  to  those  who  survive,  if  they  may  in- 
dulge the  hope  that  their  departed  friends  still  feel  interested 
in  their  welfare,  and  are  permitted  to  pray  for  them.  It  can- 
not be  doubted  that  the  saints  in  heaven  feel  interested  in  the 
cause  of  their  Redeemer,  and  that  they  greatly  desire  that  the 
number  of  His  disciples  in  this  world  may  be  increased.  If 
there  is  joy  in  heaven  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  over  one 
sinner  that  repenteth,  then  we  must  conclude  that  events  on 
earth  are  known  in  heaven.  "  All  the  powers  of  the  saints  in 
heaven  will  be  exercised  to  the  highest  degree.  Though  they 
rest  from  their  labors  on  the  earth,  yet  we  are  assured  that  in 
the  worship  of  God,  they  rest  not  day  and  night."  (Rev.  iv.  8.) 


204  Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24. 

There  is  then  a  sense  in  which  there  is  no  rest  in  heaven — no 
cessation  of  the  most  powerful  exercises  of  the  soul.  The 
Christian  in  this  life,  when  a  subject  of  the  powerful  opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit,  worships  God  with  all  his  heart,  and 
the  perfect  freedom  he  experiences  from  all  worldly  influences 
is  an  earnest  and  foretaste  of  that  rest  he  will  enjoy  in  heaven. 
Christ,  we  are  assured,  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
his  church  on  earth.  (Heb.  vii.  25.)  How  unhappy  must 
those  be,  if  admitted  into  heaven,  to  whom  it  is  a  weariness  to 
go  to  the  house  of  God,  and  who  are  weary  in  His  service 
when  there — impatient  to  have  the  service  ended  !  They 
seem  not  to  be  aware,  if  they  enter  heaven,  they  must  there 
serve  God  night  and  day.  It  is  only  the  unrenewed  and 
worldly  minded  who  find  the  service  of  God  tedious.  As 
churches  depart  from  God,  their  services  are  shortened,  and 
they  are  satisfied  with  superficial  and  modified  views  of  the 
truth.     They  desire  something  amusing.    (Rev.  xix.  10.) 

IV.  Tlie  enjoyments  of  the  redeemed  in  Heaven.  They  will 
be  highly  honored,  and  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  the  hu- 
man race. 

They  will  be  near  to  their  adored  Lord,  and  will  constantly 
behold  him.  When  in  this  world  they  obtain  but  a  glimpse  of 
His  excellence  ;  they  are  filled  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory.  They  will,  while  praising  Him,  receive  from  His 
inexhaustible  fullness  constant  communications  of  good,  which 
will  make  them  unspeakably  happy.  They  will  experience 
perfect  satisfaction.  As  the  tree  of  life,  which  John  saw 
bears  twelve  manner  of  fruits,  so  we  may  suppose  that  there 
will  be  some  variety  in  the  enjoyments  as  well  as  employ- 
ments of  the  redeemed,  and  that  every  holy  desire  will  be  grati- 
fied.    The  more  active,  the  more  happy  they  will  be,  Christ  will 


»      Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24.  205 

constantly  and  forever  be  revealing  himself  to  all  the  redeemed. 
This  increase  of  knowledge  will  be  a  constant  source  of  happi- 
ness. We  can  never  know  all  that  may  be  known  of  God.  Every 
new  revelation  will  open  a  new  field  of  contemplation.  The  in- 
heritance of  believers  will  be  as  large  as  their  desires,  and  as 
lasting  as  their  existence.  "  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  said  the  apostle  Peter,  "  who  accord- 
ing to  His  abundant  mercy,  hath  begotten  us  again  to  a  lively 
hope  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  to 
an  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled,  that  fadeth  not  away, 
reserved  in  heaven  for  you."  (I  Pet.  i.  3,  4.)  Their  security 
will  add  much  to  their  happiness. 

Now,  if  it  be  the  fact  that  heaven  is  where  Christ  is,  and 
that  where  two  or  three  are  met  together  in  his  name,  he  is 
by  his  Spirit  in  the  midst  of  them  :  then  you,  my  brethren,  need 
not  imagine  that  Christ  and  heaven  are  a  great  way  from  you. 
Is  he  not  looking  in  upon  us,  searching  our  hearts,  care- 
fully noticing  the  feelings  you  exercise  toward  him  and  his 
cause  ? 

The  more  spiritual  your  views,  the  nearer  Christ  will  ap- 
pear to  be  to  you.  Have  you  not,  brethren,  sometimes  found 
him  in  the  sanctuary,  or  in  the  midst  of  those  met  together  for 
prayer,  or  in  your  closet  ? 

Some  of  you  may  soon  enter  the  presence  of  him  who  gave 
his  life  to  redeem  you.  The  remainder  of  your  time  on  earth 
which  may  appear  to  you  long,  when  it  is  ended,  willappear 
to  be  short,  and  the  pleasures  of  the  world  but  false  and  de- 
ceptive. Think,  I  pray  you,  of  what  has  been  done  for  your  re- 
demption, and  of  the  returns  you  have  made  to  your  Redeemer. 
You  are  now  sitting  in  the  outer  courts  of  heaven,  my  hear- 
ers, and  the  all-piercing  eye  of  Him  who  suffered  on  the  cross 


206  Sermon  on  John  xvii.  24.        # 

in  the  room  of  sinners,  is  fixed  upon  you.  He  offers  you,  this 
day,  pardon  and  justification,  without  money  and  without 
price — without  any  works  of  your  own.  The  question  is  now 
presented  to  you,  Will  you  accept — will  you  open  your  heart 
and  receive  Christ  as  your  Saviour  or  not  ?  Will  you  even 
look  to  Him  that  you  may  be  saved  ?  His  language  is, "  Come, 
for  all  things  are  ready."  Will  you  come  ?  The  prison  doors 
are  unlocked,  and  thrown  open  ;  your  fetters  are  knocked  off; 
there  is  an  opportunity  for  you  to  make  your  escape,  you  are 
invited  and  urged  to  come  forth  ;  nothing  prevents  but  your 
unwillingness.  Life  and  death  are  before  you.  I  am  about 
to  close.  Christ  is  looking  upon  you,  sinner,  now  under  sen- 
tence of  death ;  holy  angels  are  witnesses  of  your  decision. 
Will  you  not  say,  Lord,  I  believe,  help  mine  unbelief !  Breth- 
ren, we  must  pray,  and  pray  earnestly,  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
may  effect  what  we  cannot  accomplish.  A  great  responsibility 
rests  on  us.  Let  us  be  faithful — leaving  to  God  the  results. 
Amen. 


